WILL THE CARS STOP?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1320, 26 December 1911, Page 4

TRAMWAY DISPUTE•STRIKE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE. THE LATEST REPORT. Probably the crowds of people on the streets on Saturday night had no suspicion that tho tramway service on which they were depending to take them to their homes in the suburbs was liable to stop abruptly at any moment. The trainwaymen ha<l held a meeting in the niessrooni at Thorndon at t o'clock in the afternoon to consider what action they should tnke in answer to the management's action in putting Inspector Fuller on duty. Many of tho men, it is stated, were in favour of a proposal to walk off their cars at 7 o'clock, but tho. heads of tho union counselled otherwise. They urged that such a course would cause the crow.ds of people in tho streets very serious inconvenience, and that as they had no quarrel with the public they would bo unfair in not having 60ine regard tor tho public's comfort. These counsels prevailed in the end, but it proved no easy matter to dissuade tho men from striking. It was agreed, however that if Inspector Fuller checked any conductor's tickets or spoko to a single member of tho uniou the men were to leave their care. Presumably hn did not check any tickets, for tho service went on. Oh Sunday morning another meeting of tho union was hold, and tho business was further discussed. At this mooting it was decided to adviso tho tramway authorities that unless Inspector Puller wo.ro removed, from any employment in tho tramway ssrvico the members of the union would cease work on next Sunday evening, December 31. This notico has not yet been, served on the officer in charge of the Tramways Department, on account of the holiday yesterday, but it will be diepatched to him to-day, What will happen in tho end will do. pend very much on what the City Council do in tho meantime. There is no doubt about tho union's intention, or the temper of the men generally on the question. Tho decision above referred to was agreed upon by an overwhelming majority of the members of the uniou. The demand is that Inspector Fuller shall bo removed from the service forthwith. Tho tramwaymen being members of a union registered under the Arbitration Act, a strike on their part is punishable at law. Every member of the union is liable to a fine of JCIO, the members of the executive aro each'liable to a further penalty, and the union may bo fined as a union. . Several members of the union, with! whom a Dominion representative spoke yesterday, were in no wise uncommunicative ns to their reasons for objecting to Inspector Fuller as an officer of thc ( wrvico. What they had to say concerns'that officer more than it concerns anybodyelse, and it.need not be printed hore. Tho fact is they have a decided quarrel with! him, and hey thing their quarrel is just. .When, .communicated with yesterday, the ll'ayor .said he had no official information about tho. projected strike. Mr. S. Kichnrd?on, Tramways Engineer, had likewise'nothing to say to a reporter who communicated with him. lie had heard of what had occurred, but ho had , nothing (o say about it, nor would he say what he proposed to do about Inspector Fullor'a position,