SYDNEY STRIKE OFF.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 7

SYDNEY STRIKE OFF.

DISAPPROVAL AND RIOT, UNION LEADERS CHASED BY A MOB. TERMS OF REINSTATEMENT, < (BI TELEGKAFH —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTRIOHT,) Sydney, July 29, It is believed tliafc - tlio- terras of settlement arranged between tho Premior, the Chief Commissioner of Railways, and tho Labour leadors, for- a cessation of tho striko, practically are that tho strikers will bo reinstated with tho exception of about twenty, who wero guilty- of insubordination and'intemperate language before the strikG began, and that tho Tramways TJnion shall apply for a board of inquiry under tho provisions of tho Industrial Disputes Act. MASS MEETINC. . VOTE TO CONTINUE THE STRIKE. (Rec. July 29, 9.15 p.m.) , Sydney, July 29. A mass meeting of men was held in-tho Centenary Hall. About 1800 strikers wore present. Tho Press were excluded. The meeting lasted several hours, and tho proceedings wero at times stormy. r Tho speakers, besides the striko leaders, included representatives of several other unions, and of the Trades Hall, and some Labour members of Parliament. Reports of tho negotiations up to last night woro dealt with! A statement that the Department was taking back old hands at a. minimum wage of 6s. 6d. per day, irrespective. of their previous positions, led to tho Executive being sent' as a deputation to the Commissioners to find out the truth or otherwise of the report. Tho Chief Commissioner informed the deputation that reinstated men would 1 not suffer either in wages or privileges by striking. At the request of the deputation, Commissioners Johnson and Richardson attended a mass meriting.. Commissioner Johnson addressed the men and was well received. He advised the men to return to work, promising that ho alone would deal with tho few men wjio are not to be reinstated. After tho departure of tho Commissioners, a long discussion ensued as to the terms of reinstatement. It is undeystood that speakers on one hand represented that other unions, including the Miners', Wharf Labourers , and Coal Lumpers',. would support tho strikers; while, on the other) hand, the President'of tho Tramway Association oiid members of the Labour party- in 1 Parliament advocated peace and acceptance of tho terms offered. / It is officially stated that a vote in favour of continuing tho strike was carried by n majority oi live to one. In tho meantime, however, a considerable number of men had left tho hall. "■

DRIBBLING BACK. (Roc. July 29, 10.15 p.m.) ' Sydney,' July '29. Despite the decision of the mass • meeting, the strike is settling itself. .All day moil have been dribbling back seeking reinstatement in the service, and'sinbe the early afternoon tlio Commissioners' • oilices have been crowded. ' The Commissioners stato that several hundreds' have applied tb-.'re-erigage, and that to-morrow tho tram service will be fully restored. OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ■ (Rec. July 29, 11.30 p.m.) ■Sydney, July 29. v Mr. Warton, Secretary of the Tramway Employees' Union, officially announced at 8.30 o'clock to-night that the strike had been declared c£T. LATEST. ' LEADERS RESQUED BY POLICE. (Rec. July 30, 1.10 a.m.) , ' Sydney, July 29. Mr. Warton's announcement that the strike is off was received with great dissatisfaction by 1500' strikers, who had assembled in tho Trades Hall. A scone of wild; disorder .followed, and tho lenders of tho.Unioii were denounced, hooted, and .threatened. When Messrs, Lawton (president);and Warton (secretary) reached the street, they were chased by a big mob of infuriated men, and were, compelled to take refuge in an hotel, from which tho polico rescued them. Tho tramcars are running to-night. Tho 'question of tho tramway- management; involving a general discussion'of the'strike, has been transferred to the Assembly, where n debate is proceeding on a further.amendment to tlio Address-in-Reply, moved by Mr. Meagher. THE "SPOTTER" SYSTEM. AMERICAN LOSSES-NEWSPAPER VIEWS. The system of espionage for checking dishonesty on tho-part of tramway "conductors, which has been niade the cause of a general strike amongst the tramway mou of New South Wales, is on-, all fours with the'' "spotter" system of America. In many American cities women as well as men are employed as detectives on tho cars, and such a drastic system is accepted as one of tho necessary mediums for checking loss through > dishonest conductors. American writers say that long experience has taught tho big car companies to take the view that tho coiiiluotor is liable to "do a little for himself" if.'not clesoly watchcd. ONE COMPANY LOSES' 1000DQLS. A DAY. A Now York newspaper report of December 2 last throws some light on tho losses that are sustained through dishonest conductors. This reads as follows:— "Eailnro of conductors to properly ring up oash fares collected from passengers costs the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company at least lOOOdols. a day, according to Vice-President T. S. Williams, of the Company. Mr. Williams was tho principal witness at to-day's'session of tho general investigation in tho B.R.T. Systom which is being made by the Public Service Commission." A subsequent statement mado by tho samo gentleman blamed the system as much as. the dishonesty of 1 the men Another newspaper paragraph bearing on the same subject reads:— ■' CAUSES QF DISCHARGE. "Tho statistics anil statements given out by tho New. \ork City Railway' Company certainly bring the street-car conductor into disrepute. In 1904 out; of 3131 conductbrs discharged,- 3017 wero discharged for dishonesty in tho handling of fares; in 1905 3019 wore discharged, of whom 2448 had tho samo uncomplimentary reason given them; in 1906, 8924 conductors were discharged for 'knocking down' tares, and during the first six months of 1907 tho same i offence was charged against 2792 : men out of 4265 discharged. Officials of tho Company assort oil tho basis of observations and occasional startling .discoveries that dishonest conductors pockot about 35d015. wcokly apiccc. As a conductor earns from J5 io

18tlols. weekly, a little freedom with the passongors' tickets puts him on 'Easy Street,' But 'with about l. r >o,ooodol. in small chango going ' into the pockets of employees every soven days instead of iiito the Company's safes, wo fear (.hat the growls of travellers about

the fiorvico of thn. surface cars will not speedily bo hushed." •" •

The opinion is 'expressed that there is no valid objection to a '"spotter" eystcm, as only the dishonest need fear it.