SYDNEY FERRIES STOR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1704, 22 March 1913, Page 5

SYDNEY FERRIES STOR.

|HEN OUT ON STRIKE)

i HOLIDAY CROWDS BLOCKED.

AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE; IV .eiraph—Press -Association—Cosyrlsht (Reo. March 21, 12 p.m.) ' , Sydney, Maroh 21, Itb. every promise in-the shape of ■••••r/Jier conditions, and attractive pro''rttdmos of a pleasing holiday, the pros- / *'ot has been largely, spoiled by tho sudtying up of tho greater portion of the jorry service. Trouble w'as rife among the ferry hands for a considerable time, owing to the delay of tho. Wages Board in dealing with the men's grievances/, and a strike was threatened eariy in tho month, but was kverted by Mr. Carmichael,' Minister for tabour Intervening and promising to '. avo the proceedings of the board expedited. ' ■' the arrangement apparently proved un:viisfactory, for this morning' travellers tihing the. wharves after nine o'clock '.Vund the steamers on most services tied hr- and were unable to .cross 'ike harbour. Good Friday is generally Jevi'ted to' family picnics and to.attending the agricultural show, and as the day on great crowds of disappointed picnickers and show visitors, were massed at /inds of tho services. . M'ho development was bo sudden'.that Nothing was known till the crowds landed Jit the.,wharves.iThose.at the city.'end _\vero able' to ...avail themselves of 1 the trains elsewhere, or to: go to Manly, to yidch point the Eteamera continued to :) l. The crowds in North. Sydney, and

r.-ilier parts across tho'harbour 'wero com-.->!led to return - home 'or .'reach their ; i r-itinations' by cirouitons • routes. . Boatmen and lainches mado a rich jwrvesfc from jhose ■ willing to -. pay a grilling or"mora for the wonted' penny friP-' ; , V . - ) The, strikers; point out that the Wages Soard is sitting only one day $ week, and liis been six ' weeks taking unfinished Ipvidenca from tho Ferry Company's Wnagar, and at that rate of 'progress £heir turn. will never/ come. i Vihortlyj-after, the strike started, repre- " ■ ltatiyes of the men conferred with the : rry Company's manager, who' offered ■ ■fat if thoy returned to work/> tho com•ny would" agree to make . any award ' r.'veh by the board , retrospective . from liiary' 1. This was not .agreeable to. younger section of the strikers, who '■--j'V in the majority, and was rejected. i'r. Carmichael, in./a. statement, says -/' hoard yesterday that there was likely o trouble, and ho detailed an indus- ? il' inspector to get in - touch with the riymeu's Executive, with / aview, to ( V-->r';ing a strike if .possible. He received K> assurance that thoro'would bo no "rouble. After the strike commenced, ho Conferred with tho managers of the ferry and the result was the'eomimies' offer mentioned above. Mr . Car--'ilchaol also undertook to arrange for the /.-ontinuous sitting of tho Wages Board,

as to obtain an early, award. (The men submitted counter-proposals for r. 48 hours' week, 'and certain. rises in ' ■ irrespective of' .the 'decision, of tho •"Tea Board. •';:'■/> '•/. ■•; . Carmichael, considering tie matter to a of extreme urgency, in view of tho "(iivTy'Baster; traffio, = is doing hia utmost io i/.r.c.h a settlement, " i 'te'r tho. refusal of the managers' offer &«, industrial inspector,, on behalf of 'Air, Carmichael, offered to conduct a facret ballot : of, tho strikers, This was jUso declined. ,' - '" . ■Mr! Todd, manager of the Sydney Forties, , stated • that the. men's olaims, subemitted to-day, were much in excess of those now being considered by the Wages jßoard, Tho companies' offer was the extreme limit they could go» Ho saw no liope of a settlement.

1 Despite tho strong efforts to Induce thorn $o Join, tho 'striko, .tho Manly ferry, am-, jbloyees refused, on the ground that many jaxtra thousands, 'largely consisting of forking mon and their families, who iiSronld be debarred from going elsewhere, jiad gone to, Manly,'and it would be unfair to leavo them stranded. Developments, however, aro possible if a settlement is n'ot reached to-morrow morning, {' The fleet of idle steamers lying alongide the wharves kept' up steam throughut the day, in readiness to resume, and rowds hung .round in .vain hopes' of asttlement. ' ' • • •■Tho city, which Is generally deserted n Good Friday, is quite lively with disppointod pleasure-hunters wandering tho ptreet3. . ,■■■ There is a strong feeling of resentment pgainst tho men for suddenly ■, springing a strike in the holiday season, The city ta crowded with visitors, and many of [those who crossed' in the' early steamen /Wore tho 6trike started have had difficulty in reaching their homes after the Way's outing. f, 'Negotiations ore proceeding for another jbonferenco to be arranged to-morrow,