RAILWAY CLOSED

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 114, 11 November 1919, Page 6

RAILWAY CLOSED

AUSTRALIAN EAST TO

WEST LINE

THE LOCO MEN'S DISPUTE

(VMITID roilg -WeOCMTIOH.—COFIRISH.)

(Received November 11, 8.30 a.m.)

MELBOURNE, This Day.

In conßequence of a settlement not being arrived at in the strike, the Federal Government is. closing the trans-Austra-lian line until arrangements are possible to conduct traffic without interruption.

The families of employees between Tar coola and Kalgoorlie are being removed.

[On 28th October all • the locomotive men in the East-West railway ceased work, and the passengers who left Melbourne the previous night for Western Australia were held up at Port Augusta, and all traffic on the line was suspended. The locomotive men are asking for increased wages and better-working conditions. Their grievances were recently inquired into, but the award given was not satisfactory to the meu and they gave notice that unless their requests 4 were complied with they would "go into conference and cease work." The men's complaint is .that the whole of the drivers on the express service have been disrated from first to second and third class, and correspondingly reduced in pay.] ■•'.,.-■