TRAMWAYS STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 260, 27 July 1908, Page 7

TRAMWAYS STRIKE.

SERIOUS OUTLOOK. FEARS OF A LABOUR UPHEAVAL. UNIONS CO-OPERATING. (ill' TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COrrtU3IIT.) Sydney, July 25. 'The pinch of tho striko is boiug felt this morning. Though a limited numbor of trams—each with its polico guard—are running to all the suburbs, tho service is insufficient to . meet, tho big early morning rush. Workers from the further suburbs are' find-, Ing a difficulty in reaching, tho city, and buses and air kinds of vehicles have been pressed into service. Additional railway and ferry' facilities have been arranged for to copo with tho block. Alleged Outside Applications. •The department claims' to • have received numerous applications from persons willing to fill the places of the strikers, including some from other' States and New Zealand. A largo body' of; suburban police have been drafted to the city in readiness for tho re; sumption of'a'hi6'ditied service. Altogether twenty arrests were made in connection with yesterday's hostile demonstrations. ■ .Executive officers of the Union disclaim for thoir men any connection with attempts to tamper with' the oars, or with the hostile and lay the blame' on the rough element outside. The strikers acted with complete unanimity, not a'Single regular conductor remaining at the work. ' The commissioners declare that the .men's action has made it impossible for them to reconsider their decision. Attitude, of Organised Labour. A conference of the State Labour Party and the Labour Council decided to again interview the Premier,' and endeavour to impress on him tho grave danger of the,trouble extending to other branches of the Government service, as well as to outside unionß. The executive of' tho Amalgamated Kailway and Tramway Association decided that no member of any other branch of the association shall fill the place of a striker, at tho sanife time deprecating precipitate aotion at.tho present time. . There aro rumours of the possibility ot tho Electrical Trades Union and the Watorsid(s: Workers' Union 1 striking in sympathy with the tram-men. A 'meeting of the former is callcd for to-night. In regard to tho strike' at. Newcastle, up to last night it was 1 -only partial. The sorvico is a steam ono, and the engine-drivers, not having received tho sanction of their exeoutivo, did riot come out with the" conductors. A partial service is being maintained. SATURDAY'S SERVICE. A CONSTABLE OX EACH CAR. (Rec. July 25, 6.35"p.m.) Sydney, July 25. A fairly good service was maintained on the tramwaysjtu-day. , ■ . Many old servants of' the Railway Service Baretdttiuti M",\tho"erisis;' 'A' conr stable accompanies each car. Several arrests , were made ,for intimidation, njid one man received a month's impri-

donmont. ■ Another attempt was made to persuade thp Premier (Mr. Wade) to take action on behalf of the men,, but he remains inflexible, and adheres to his determination that the men must first return to duty. 1 ; A CENERAL STRIKE FEARED, POLICE REINFORCED. ' . . (Roc. July 26, . 4.45 p.m.). Sydney, July 2G. The striko situation lias bccomo gravo. There is now indication of- a great industrial upheaval.' At the Trades Hall last night the atmosphere was eleotrical. The Labour Council discussed the situation, but great eeoreby was maintained." It is. statod that a resolution was passed calling upon all Unions to strike at noon tomorrow unless the tramway trouble is ended. /- • Tho Wharf Labourers' Union, it is believed, 13 roady t'o . strike at an hour's notico. i ]' . ' The police aro being largoly reinforced from the country districts. .. Tho weakness of tho men's position at present lies "in tho fact that the power-house men havo not struck. Tho engineers are members of,the Institute, and this body has not taken any action in connection with tie striko. ..- • . . LATEST, A BIC DEMONSTRATION. (Rec. July 27,'1 a.m.) Sydney, July' 26. A modorato tramcar service was maintained to-day. No .trams are to be run. after 8 o'clock at night.,

It is understood that tho Government have decided to take action with regard to tile strike under the Industrial Disputes Aot, in what direction is not divulged.

Tho railway- ! men's representatives, after conferring with tho representatives of tho Tramwaymen's Association, tho Amalgamated Society of Engineers) and the Labour Council, decided 'to "whit oh the Commissioners tomorrow to present cortain requests, tho naturo of which is not divulged. If the reply is hot favourable, a meeting will bo called to consider the situation. .' Tho Labour' Council will to-morrow ask Mr. Wade to appoint an independent board to deal with the case of the conductor Croucher, who it is said was dismissed as a result of the espionage system. Tho strikers and their supporters paraded the streets in tho afternoon, and afterwards held a monster demonstration in the Domain, at which 70,000 people were present. Thoy adopted resolutions of sympathy with tho strikers. '• During the procession and after tho meeting the tram service wis stopped, by tho request of the police, to obviato possiblo hostile demonstrations. .' (BY IEI/EOBAMI—PPESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, Juiy '26. Mr., Rosscr, secretary of • the Auckland TrarmVay Union, telegraphed to Mr. Young, secretary of tho Tramivay Union, Wellington: " Warton cables —'Warn Now Zealand men to keop away from Sydney.' "Will you do it front executive!' Lot Sydnoy know Wow Zealand does not breed tramway blacklcgs, and wish Sydney men well. Our men calm and resigned since board's decision;"-.