Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎168r] (335/442)

2031 Foot-and-Mouth Disease. 10 July 1912
Foot-and-Mouth Disease. 2032
PORT OF LONDON (STRIKE).
Surrey Commercial Docks Disturbances.
Motion made, and Question proposed,
“ That this House do now adjourn.”—[Mr.
Gulland.']
Mr. GRETTON: I desire to ask the
Home Secretary whether he can give the
House any information as to the character
and extent of the disturbances which are
reported to have taken place in the neigh
bourhood of the docks to-day. It appears
that the disturbances were of a serious
character, that there was damage done to
property, that persons were injured and
taken to the hospital, and that shots were
fired. I hope the right hon. Gentleman
will be able to give the House full informa
tion as to what occurred.
The SECRETARY of STATE for the
HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. McKenna):
I shall be very glad to give the hon. Mem
ber and the House such information as I
have. I only received the hon. Member’s
notice at dinner time, but I communicated
at once with Scotland Yard, and I received
the following statement:—
At noon to-day a large number of free labourers
employed at various departments at Surrey Commercial
Docks left to obtain dinner. Some went to the Plough
Inn and to the Surrey Commercial Docks Tavern. At
12.30 p.m. a number of strikers went to both public-
houses and made an attack on the free labourers by
throwing missiles and using threats. Several labourers at
the Plough escaped to various parts of the building ; some
were injured by dropping from back windows into the
yard at rear of premises ; others were injured by climbing
over a high wall which was covered with glass. The
landlord of the Plough Inn, finding that the strikers
had taken possession of the premises by driving the
customers both upstairs and into the cellar, became
alarmed, and fired five blank shots from a revolver
through a window which had previously been smashed.
Other shots were heard, but at present there is no in
formation as to who fired. In the street, in the imme
diate vicinity, missiles were freely thrown by the strikers
in the shape of bottles, stones and bricks, which
broke fourteen windows in the Plough public-house,
five at Surrey Commercial Docks Tavern, and one
window at coffee house adjoining Surrey Com
mercial Docks Tavern. Thirteen people were injured.
Ten have been taken to Guy’s Hospital, and three de
clined medical aid. The streets are now clear, and the
aid was sufficient to cope with the disturbance.”
I inquired later as to whether any arrests
have been made. I learn that only one
arrest has been made so far.
Colonel LOCKWOOD: Who reports
that 1
Mr. McKENNA: The police.
FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.
Mr. JEREMIAH MacVEAGH : May I
ask the Vice-President of the Department
of Agriculture whether he is able to make
any statement with regard to the opening
of the Irish ports which are closed in con
nection with the outbreak of cattle disease,
and specially with regard to the Port of
Newry, which is in my own Constituency?
I should like to know whether he has in
quired if the cattle could be efficiently in
spected at Newry, and, if so, whether there
is any objection to the reopening of the
port? There is no object to be gained by
closing the port, because the cattle are
conveyed to the open ports of Belfast and
Londonderry, and the Great Northern
Railway Company is now running every
day a large number of special trains
conveying the cattle past Newry and
up to Belfast and Londonderry, where
they are shipped over to the Eng
lish market. It is therefore a great
hardship, to this port especially, as no case
of disease has occurred within at least
sixty miles. There is no infected area
there at all. and there has been no out
break whatever. Linder the circumstances
I hope the right hon. Gentleman will be
prepared to announce that this port, at
any rate, shall be opened.
Mr. T. W. RUSSELL (Vice-President of
the Department of Agriculture, Ireland):
I must ask the hon. Member to repeat his
question to-morrow, and to address it ta
the Minister for Agriculture. I have re
ceived notification of two additional cases
in the Swords area. So long as the disease
exists in that area it will be very difikuilt
indeed to open ports such as Newry, Dun
dalk, and Drogheda. This is a matter for
the Minister for Agriculture, and I have
undertaken to confer with him to-morrow.
Mr. C. BATHURST: Will the right hon.
Gentleman kindly inform the House where
exactly these fresh outbreaks are ? Are
they on the same farms on which the pre
vious outbreaks took place ? If.not, within
what distance of the farms have they
occurred? Has the right hon. Gentleman
yet ascertained the cause of any of these
outbreaks in the Swords district?
Mr. RUSSELL:! take it from the brief
telegram I received to-night that they are
in exactly the same area. There are three
farms affected altogether, and I take it the
two additional cases are on the same farm.
I told the hon. Gentleman to-day the facts
are all being recorded for the purpose of
any inquiry which may be held, but I must
appeal to him when the Department is
grappling with this disease it is impos
sible to set about holding an inquiry into