THE RAILWAY STRIKE

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14658, 6 May 1913, Page 7

THE RAILWAY STRIKE

PARTICIPANTS FINED.

COMMENT BY THE JUDGE

(By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright.)

(Received May sth, 9.20 p.m.)

•SiYDNEY, May 5,

As a sequel to tho railway strike, Mr Justice Hoydon, in the Industrial Court, to-day delivered judgment in the cases of 49 porters who loft their work at Darling Harbour. When the matter was before the Court, counsel raised tho question of whether tho men's action constituted a strike.

Mr Justice Heydon found that they had acted in conoert, and the essence of a strike was concerted cessation of work without the consent of the employer. They choso an exceptionally busy day in tho railway yards on which to strike. Being public servants in charge of one of the links of communication botween the metropolis and tho rest of tho State, they broke it and caused great inconvenience and loss. The choice of an exceptionally busy day, when perishable goods might be destroyed, was a circumstance of extreme aggravation. It was pure, destruction of follow-citizens , private property, at the very moment a Board was considering nn award under which their fellowcitizens made them a present of wagee of £60,000 annually. Many strikes now displayed a character of Tcckless malice, as if thero wero a grudge against society and a desire to injure it as much as possible.

Ho fined sixteen loading porters £10, and 33 porters £7 and costs each, to be leviable upon thoir wages.