THE COM STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3056, 18 April 1917, Page 8

THE COM STRIKE

\ WAIPA MEN RKRUHN TO work v .;.., ■ 1 • ■; ;■' v-: SECRET. BALLOT BEING TAtoJ / - -By Telegraph.—Press. Association!. J"' "■■■ Auckland, April IV. ; ;:'-', The Waipa miners returned to wmrl" :' • to-day." They intend to take a seeffet ballot to-night or to-morrow' on a point in.respect to which the utmost secrecy > . is being^maintained..; ■ 'CONFERENCE; AT BLACKBALL ■BETWEEN MNISTERS AND i,:- : ,;,:■:■ "MINERS.." ■"•-' ; By. Telegraph—Press Association. v ■■-■ ' ; .. - Craymoirth, April 17. 1 • Sir James"'Allen artd the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald held a conference 1 with the Blackball Timers to-night, and they '-. are not to arrive in • ' Greymouth till-late to-iuight. ; BETTER sisFoFTHE PEOPLE" V ":. ■ MASS MEETINGS PfiOPOSED. . •By Teies'aph^—Press Association.' . y--i' '. Nspifliy April 17. The Hastings' Chamber of; Commerce to-night/ discussing the seriousness <n j ; "' the industrialunrest at present manifesting itself in the coal-mming dis-i : • .triets of New.'Zealand,' passed the foI-\ lowing resolution: VThis. chamber sug- .-■ cests that mass meetings be hold in . all centres to give expression to public opinion on the action of the men re...V sorting to -' the : . strike weapon durmg ■ the present crisis,' and the, war for democracy and;i individual liberty, and ■•: feels confident that, the better, sense of . the people of the Dominiop. 'expressed : at such mass meetings,. will wad, the strikers to:'realise-the :seftOiisness .of . their action, and return to.work." : I iATTITUDE OF "ORGANISED LABOUR"' HOW TO OBTAIN INDUSTRIAL , 'PEACE.;. ■■■.■;■: '.' '" ' ;By Telegraph— , ■ Ohristohurch, April 17. : ' The following telegram was sent tolay to Sir James'Allen: by : Mr. Hiram : ■ ffunter, national secretary of the !•■■--." United Federation' of .'•' Labour.:—"The •' United. Federation of Labour is of ppui- '.'. ion that the miners who are striking ,against the Conscription Act arfl ex- ,, pressing-the attitude .~ ! hour throughout Australasii towards tonscriptibn, and if the Government i£- : . .desirous,of obtaining 'industrial peace • ~\'it~should immediately suspend the oper"ationsof the Military Service Act, and 1 , secure' recruits voluntarily by taxing :,. wealth,.and thus provide the money to , pay adequate remuneration to soldiers, with increased pensions and allowances . .; 'to- them , and their dependant's by Tight." \ ■■_ '' ; '■ ; ." ;"- TRAMS AND .LIGHTING ,^ '"' \ , • ____'■ /: • l: The' City Council will be asked to 'consider at its. next meeting-a report [■■'■ from the Tramways Committee, recomr •mending the curtailment of tram services and a considerable ireduction in street lighting'.- This : report was be- ... fore the /committee, yesterday. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) made a statement as to the general effect, of the proposals to.a [reporter last night. '■"Our most important proposal," said Mr. Luke, "is to curtail considerably - the running of the trams during the hours of the day and evening. ;. , : '.'l'lioVi,-will link lu> m t.rniMa ' 'fr iTho question-of whether Sunday serTices should, be out out altogether is ". 'for the council to deoide, but if Sun!day - services -are continued, ; .they will l ■',: jbe: very much. curtailed, arid double ■■ ! ;;' |fares l will, be charged., If ,this_ extra ; .charge were not made it is certain that I there would be. intolerable, congestion ion the fewer trams running, and in jany ease it is desired that Sunday traf■jfic should- be limited. ■■) 'There' is difjference of opinion as to whether or not - Sunday trams should ; stop altogether. llii making these curtailmenti the coun- '..■• cil has to consider two; things. The prst,'and for the-moment'the most ". pmportarit, :is the urgent necessity of ' pusbanding our coal supplies, but we [have also to consider the saving of la-j [hour, in view of the possibility of our ; (Jiaying. to'carry on with reduced staffs :''..' tin' the future..

"We shall have to ask the people to (■help us with the reduction of services: > fOne of our difficulties in running the - [tramway '• service is that- of 'peak' ; loads at the rush hours of the day. | These peak loads add very much to >'. *>ur consumption of fuel, for so long jas wo have to. carry them we have to jkeep, all our machinery available and prepared to supply current at maxi.,jm.um.capacity. tor an hour or two in ;; ; jth'e■morning,' when; the.people are go"iii'hg to work, and again m the evening ii!when they are returning to their ~ .homes. It .is suggested that we should ' 'appeal fo .some of the people who can, ■:,' arrange to do so to go.tq work at 7.30 ;, ,o'clock,"in .order.to distribute the load ■'.; en the service, and .help us out of -"■• this difficulty of peak loads. If cer- ';;': tain industries can arrange to begin ' |ihe working day at 7.30 a.m., the con- '■_. : fjestiou in the trams will be relieved, ijjaridVe shall be able to cope with the r J traffic with a reduced number ot 5..„ (.trams. '■'.-. • ■;-.'' "In lighting, also, it is proposed 1 that considerable savings shall be made. Some of the very_ large arc lamps which are now lighting; up ceritain areas will be cut out for the time :■ {being,? and'very limited'lighting will be '51 .'provided, after midnight.'' .:' SHIPPING ALTERATIONS ;:; KESULT OF THE COAL TROUBLE. :i , As a result of the coal sEorlage in ,'-.' the Dominion the, Union Company ad-.. -.'■ ..vised'a I drastic' alteration of the ferry ,: services yesterday. On arrival, here this morning the Maori, which will berth at No; 4 Queen's Wharf, will sign off her crew,'and will lay up'here *■.';. until the situation improves. The .}'' iMararoa did not go south last even.i}; Jng; and, the passengers were taken to ;": Lyttelton by- another vessel.. The :,!-.; ■Mararoa will now leave here to-night •'.-• for Lyttelton in the Maori's running, .■ and the Mararoa's running will .be ■ - taken by the Pateena, which will leave '■"• here at 7.45 p.m. to-morrow night as ' -usual, but on Saturday night her de-'■.■"'j-jinrture for Lyttelton will be postpon- ;;.:, led-until 11:30 p.m. The Mapounka, .;,S.as previously announced, has been iA.kwithdrawn from the West Coast, run) ,-.'-sand she leaves here to-day at 12.45 -~tp.m. for Picton, and_ Nelson, and will '•■ greniain in her running according to l 'time-table until further notice.