BRISBANE STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1362, 13 February 1912, Page 3

BRISBANE STRIKE.

DETAILS BY THE MAIL, TRAM SEKVICE RESUMED. Tho monotonous idleness of city life, mid especially of street traffic, which had been brought about by the general slriko wns (siiys the llrislmno "Daily .Mail" of I'obniarv (!) relieved to some extent yesterday by the reappearance in the city of «■ number- of tram-ears. The news had K'me abroal during the. morning that Air. lliklk-.t hail determined to rr-sume tho si-rvic.) at noon, and this aroused widespread mlensl. It also resulted in tile police authorities showing tneir full ■■'length, and all through the morning biiinls of nioiiiiteil police, a great many .special men, paraded tho streets. Jiy noon there were sounds of police at nil the chief street interactions, and tho Commissioner himself, accompanied by a strong took up a stand at "the General l'ost OHico. The first car to leayo Countess Street was the "scraper" manned by several special constables. Then followed several ordinary passenger curs in quick succession. As the "scraper" turned up in Queen Street there was a cheer from the crowd at tho coiner, and the enthusiasm was takoir up at various point* along the thoroughfare. Occasionally there were also fceblo hoots, but although "red vibbnncrs" were present in large numbers there were, comparatively few signs of disapprobation. This was remarked to a Trades Hall ollicial wjio was standing in Queen Street, and he replied: "We don't: mind if the ears riui. This only goes to prove what we said beforo that Air. Badger had no reason to stop the service last Tuesday.- He has wilfully infringed (ho Tramways Act by failing to supply an adequate service. Our people do not intend to interfere with the cars or their traitors on them. This is a peaceful strike." The first few cars were filled with passengers. 'Die cars only run through the main thoiMighl'are.s of the city, and this restricted service, was maintained until nightfall, when all trams were returned to the sheds. The servica, such as it was, was well patronised throughout the afternoon. It is Announced, however, thai the .service will ho exlemlnl as H.-rni as possible, and in all probability there will bo a tram trnflic on certain of the suburban lines to-day. Yost4>r<l:iy Mr. ]{. A. Kanking, P.M.. issued u fresh proclamation declaring that all the hotels, which would otherwise have been open (his week, were to remain closed to 8 a.m. on Monday next. AFTER FIVE DATS. The appearance of the trams, after the absence of iive full days, seemed to relieve tiio Ycrr atmosphere of its intensity to such an extent that the rumour got abroad that the general strike hud broken down. A visit to tho Trades Hall, however, soon dispelled this illusion. The presence there of many hundreds of "rodribboners" who have fc-en making the Trades Hall their daily home ever since the outbreak of the trouble, and the tense faces of the strike officials, proved to the contrary. In the morning there had been several thousands gathered in Turbot Street to hear the latest news, and in the evening there was an equally largo 'assemblage, to hear the events of the day, and to receive the night "bulletins." At night several mass meetings were held, including an overllowhg ona in the Centennial Hall. At ten o'clock in the , morning Turbot Street and its adjacent cliffs v.ero literally a seething mass of humanity—tho strikers awaiting the usual moruiii" announcements. At a few minutes past ten Messrs. .1. H. Coyne, J. A. Moir, ,f. Mullan, J. S. Collings, and Boote, appeared at tne windows of tho building, amid wild cheering. Mr. Coyne began to speak, but a moment later a heavy shower of ram fell. It seemed likely'to cause an interruption, bat not so. The bi" crowd stood its ground.' Seeing that the rain had not disturbed the crpwd, Mr Coyne resumed his address. He announced that by that night flic whole of the shipping of Queensland would be stopped, and he read a telegram to the effect that mo«t oi tho northern unions had ceased work. It had been mentioned, he said (hat certain shopkeepers would open their premises; they would not be ioractteii. It had also been said that the trams we-e to shirt.running again. That: was to incite ths people to violence, but ho c-xl'oHi-d them to take no notice, and (o iet (lie cars pass by as if they were not there He appealed to them to behave quietlv and remain solid, so that victorv misfit bo theirs Traitors would ho dealt with afterwards, as also would emplovors who indulged in victimisation. The speaker added that it was the advice of the Strike Committee that no one should pay rent during the strike. Their first duiv was to provide food for their fainii.v;, and the landlords could bo paid aflcrwanls. GOVEnNMEXT AND FLOUR. The following notico appoaml dnilv in the.Brisbane "Daily Mail" during ' the strike:— PUBLIC NOTICE. In consequence, of all . Operative BakMAS ILK UAREttS are UNVBLE to CONTINUE SUPPLY OF 131!EAD. and fearing many Families in the Cily and ?i'r ■!'■-, w " ,a - v noi: ,x Provided with PLOIH. the GOVERNMENT has invok ed the aid ot the LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO MEET REQUIREMENTS THE GOVERNMENT WILL DELIVER FLOUR TO ANY DEPOT INDICATED ami require just bare cost thereof. Delivery to depot will be at a cost of Government. Adequate Police Protection will be afforded to all concerned. Loerl Authorities have been invited to COMMUjMCATE WITH THE HOME SEC-K-ul All 1. W. D. RYDER, Under Secretory. Home Secretary's Department, Brisbane, 2nd February, 191 ii. Says the "Daily Mail":-"In a 'Bulletin' of the Trades Hall Strike-Commit-tee it wa? conveyed that 'strilw' flour is to Ire obtained at depots in different parts of tho city and nt tha offices cf several of tho Shire Councils of tho

State, and it is made to appear that this provision has been made, by the Strike Committee, At a meeting of the Brisbane City Council yesterday, it was inado clear that (ho /lour is supplied by tho Government, and not by tho persons responsible for it.s scarcity at present." AOVEUTISEMEXTS NOT WANTED. An announcement in the same issue, of tho "Daily Mail" reads:— "Owing to tho continuance of tho General Strike through which tho men on our mechanical Man" have ceased work, we iislr this indulgence ot readers and advertisers. \\\< cannot accept advertisements or changes of copy for them, during tho present; industrial chaos." IHilf or the front page of (ho two-page, strike, editions of the Brisbane ".Daily Mail," which arrived by last evening's mail is occupied by advertisements from the leading business houses in Brisbane notifying that their premises are closed until further notico.