ON STRIKE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 121, 22 May 1908, Page 3

ON STRIKE.

THE AUCKLAND TRAMWAY TROUBLE. " SBOWTHE PUBLIC ARE AFFECTED. ABOUT 250 MEN OUT. [By TELEcr.ArH.--SrEci.AT., to The Post.] AUCKLAND, This Day. The tramway strike, the largest strike that has tnkon place in the Dominion since the Arbitration Act has been in existence, has been the all-absorbing topic of discussion in Auckland since tbc men' gavo up their handles at noorj • yesteTday. In the excitement that was naturally occasioned iflt the time- the inconvenience to the suburban residents ■who are dependent upon the trams foi their means of transport to and 1 from their homes has not been, taken very much notice of, but it will be realised fully in a day or twe- when the novelty of the situation has worn off. Some oi the peoplej viz., those living _at Newmarket, Remuera, and Onehungaj are served by the railways] and^in order to cope with the groat increase of traffic on the line a large ' number of extra carriages were brought into requisition yesterday afternoon and last night. All' available 'buses were brought out for conveying people tc other suburbs, and the proprietors aw evidently determined to make the best of their, opportunity, "All fares sixpence" being the legend displayed or one 'bus which was running \o Parnell, a suburb covered by the ordinary tiiam.■ffay twopenny section. PUBLIC OPINION. Public sympathy seems to be divided, but not, evenly, the preponderance oi sentiment being in favour of the men. It was well understood at 'the time oi the foTmer strike in November, 1906, that one of the most important point* of the settlement arrived at wias the agreement on the part of the companj »>ot to dismiss any man without givinj him a reason and an opportunity of calling evidence on his own behalf. The ' • management now says thai, this has always been observed! since the last strike, so far as '"dismissals" are concerned, but it is contended that there is no obligation on the part of'tho company to give reasons to men who> are "discharged" by being given notice, oi salary equivalent to notice. The union, however, appears to recognise no such distinction as that drawn by the company betw-ecn "dismissals" and "discharges." MANAGER INTERVIEWED. Interviewed last night, the general manager of the company (Mr. Walklate) stated : "Mr Oliver Nicholson colled to see me about a quarter to 11 o'clock, and stated he had been approached by com© of the Labour leaders with a view - to preventing the tbjeat&ned trouble. •Mr. Nicholson enquired whether T was - prepared to discuss the matter. He said he hacL been asked to interview me. 1 replied that we were quite prepared tc "discuss the matter — in fact,' to submit the question to arbitration, and abide by the decision of the arbitrators. My suggestion was that we should appoint two men and the union two men, and the four should elect an umpire,. Thax is all I heard, and then the strike occurred. Apparently," said Mt. Walklate, "there is a very strong , feeling against the traffic manager. It has been stated that not a man will go back until he is removed from his position. I know of no reason whatever why there should be any feeling* against him. He is an excellent officer, and> always_ carries out Jus duties in a fair and impartial manner as far as I can see. As he has graduated from the ranks of the conductors he should be in full.symr; pathy with the men." NEWSPAPER COMMENT. A- COURT OF APPEAL SUGGESTED. The Star, in its leading article, says : "The suspension of traffic on our tram lines will mean not only heavy loss in wages to the employees, but "the most serious pecuniary injury to hundreds of business people, and the utmost inconvenience to the vast majority of the , population of Auckland and its suburbs. This dispute is not by any means a matter that concerns the Tramway Company and its employees alone; it affects every cla&s and section of the community, and' more especially the wageearners, who use the trams more freely than anybody else. The extension of the tram service to outlying districts - has induced hundreds and thousands of workers to 6ettle down in the suburbs, and it is on these that the inconvenience and loss occasioned by a strike will fall most severely. In the interests of the wage-earners more distinctly than any other class such disorganisation of the public transport service ought to be impossible, and wo regret that the j^tramr way employees have not been able to see this for themselves. If they could not , believe that an appeal to the formally constituted authorities would secure, their object, they might well have approached the City Council and the Mayoi, who, as official guardians of our municipal interests, would assuredly have been ready to use every exertion to prevent a recourse to tho desperate expedient of a strike." Says the paper, in concluding the article : "The whole incident emphatically shows that if the Arbi- • tration Court is unable to cope with such emergencies some kind of Court oi Appeal should be established 1 to deal with disputes arising in connection with tho great industries or organisations oi services in the maintenance of which the interests of the whole community are involved." IN CASE HELP SHOULD BE NEEDED. Mr. Rosser slates that circulars are in readiness for sending out to the various labour unions in the Dominion soliciting financial assistance in the event of an early settlement not being, arrived at The total number of men affected by the strike is about 250. A COMPLETE STOPPAGE. E»T TEIEGHAPH. — PBKSS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND. 21st May. There has been a complete stoppage of traffic, the company not making any effort to provide even a temporary service. All sorts of vehicles, furniture vans, lorries, etc., are running to anc from the suburbs, but the supply is quite inadequate for requirements, and the majority of people living in the "tram" suburbs have to walk. THE COMPANY'S POSITION. It is claimed by the company thai , their position is unassailable in so fai as the discharge of the conductor 'Herdson is concerned. It is stated that under the agreement after the dispute with the men last year no summary dis missal could take place except a gooc" reason were given by the com pany, but tho company had the privilege of discharging a man withoul any explanation so long as a week's no tice was given. Herdson was dismissed and given a week's wages in lieu of xio tics. All aexftements, howevex. ihi

management admits, are subject to the decision of the Arbitration Court. "DO NOT STAIN YOUR RECORD." Mr. Pooie, M.P., in addressing the men, said that the time had come when the straining of the bonds was reached and wrongs had to be righted, and the . men had to receive redresses for grievances. When he (the speaker) heard of the intending strike he spoke quietly to some of the men and emphasised the necessity of trying to avoid it. Ho ] was amazed to find that part of the agreement made after last strike- had s been violated, and that men had been dismissed without satisfactory reasons 1 for the dismissal being given. The men i were justified in making a strong and r long fight for their rights. If reason ' was to be overthrown and men were to be kept under, tho men were not men if 1 they did not resent it. (Cheers.) A > man, no matter * what he had done, ; should be given a discharge with an explanation concerning his crime. He s ('Mr., Poole) believed that this breach of p an agreement that had sent the men v back to their work would be remembered by the people. He had nb intention . of inspiring the men to do mischief, and * he asked them not to stain their record. f MASS MEETING OF UNIONISTS. k "COVERED WITH GLORY." . » [BY TELEGBAPH.-7-PBESS ASSOCIATION.] b AUCKLAND, 21st May. * This afternoon a mass meeting of I members of the union was held. Mr. Rosser, the union's secretary, said 3 that the union and the men associated } with it had that day covered themselves b with glory. He was pleased •to announce that the firemen jrt\the power- " house had joined in the strike. They 1 had come out in sympathy with the » motprmen and conductors.. Half of them were not members of the union. They should therefore feel very much indebted to the firemen, who had kept up power, for two hours to thus enable f the cars to be taken back to the barns. They had then ceased 'work. f EVERYTHING MADE PUBLIC. ' Continuing, Mr. Rosser said he held j he had no right to keep back anything, as had been alleged in the case of tho ' r Blackball miners, and for that reason ' he had made alf the information possible public. Ho said he had had a conference with a leading townsman, ' and he had been informed by that ' gentleman that if a truce was declared * he thought they would get everything " they asked for. / j A meeting was then held, at which ' over sixty members of the union were present. An amendment had been pro- ' posed that a truce be called till 2 1 o'clock, but this was overruled by 48 to 3. After tho flag denoting the decision to strike had been put up, Mr. Baume, M.P., had come to him and said that he would like to see the matl ter settled. He ((Mr. Rosser) had re- ) plied that they were willing to a settle- > ment, but it must be brought about , honourably Mr. Baume then said that j he would be willing to assist in any r way. Mr. Baume had suggested a con- . ference with the general manager, and j th 6 speaker had replied that the genl raJ manager should com 6to them. [ TO RETAIN SYMPATHY. (. Mr. Rosser next referred to the serious position -which they were now r forced to face. Many of them had t never before been in a strike. He said j he had heard the Riot Act read on Cirt cular Quay in Sydney during the maritime strike by order of Sir Henry Parkes. Ho urged them to conduct r themselves as men, to keep to them- ' t selves, and refrain from intoxicating liquors. By doing this, he added, they would continue to hold public i sympathy. In conclusion, Mr. Rosser suggested that the men should go to the tramway oflice as usual to-morrow, and ask for last week's pay. [ "VERY SILLY"— DIRECTOR'S , OPINION, Mr. P. M. Hansen, local director of the company, expressed the opinion, on being seen, that the strike was "very . silly." "It could have been arranged easily enough," he declared. "We offered arbitration." On the subject, of the men's contenti6n that the officials of the company should- go to the men, Mr. Hansen was i firm in the opinion that the men should l go to the company. He feared that i the strike was going to bo a much big- : ger thing than the last one. No cars, * he added, would be run with ether lat bour. That would only lead to "black- . leg" trouble, which the company wan , anxious to avoid. POSITION LAST NIGHT. ' On being asked to-night what steps the company proposed to take in regard to the strike, the general manager i (Mr. Walklate) said: ; "It is difficult to say until we see ; what transpires to-morrow." Beyond 1 that he would make no statement. Up to a late hour to-night there were | no signs of settlement of the trouble. Mr. Rosser and other union secretaries \ had a conference with the Mayor tonight, and suggestions were made, which ' will be laid before a meeting of the men to-morrow.