TRAMWAY TROUBLES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 123, 25 May 1908, Page 3

TRAMWAY TROUBLES.

A FUTILE CONFERENCE IN AUCKLAND. NO SIGN OF SETTLEMENT. [BT TELBGHAPH. — PBESB ASSOCIATION.] ; AUCKLAND, 23rd May. A further conference of the men was keld this titernoon, which Mr. Walklate attendtd. Prior to his arrival the executive & the union strongly recommended thesmen to agree to an arbitration board (composed of two members from the u<ion, two representing the jcoihpany, arid a fifth appointed by the Government)' before which all evidence should be laid, the proceedings to be open to the ness, and both parties to abide by tht decision, whatever it might be ; anl that as soon as the board ■was satisfactorily appointed cars should resume running. While the qiscussion was proceeding, and before a -\tot& was taken, Mr. Walklate arrived, *Snd definitely stated that the only thing he could do was to agree to submit the iltsues to the regular Arbitration Court. I The mcetingj however, objected to this course, as vhey were being charged before the court, their spokesman, said, •with offences involving imprisonment, and the Judge tying a Judge would give decisions on strict lega) lines, whereas the union admitted that tho management had tho law on; its sido 111 respect to one' important isiue, but the union was fighting for a motal right — namely, that men discharged with a week's wages should be allowed to know the reason ■why. They entered the service with a good character, such discharges .would imply a loss, of character. After a. desultory discussion, the conference ended 'with no decision having been arrived, at. 1 The men meet again on Monday. It is more than probable that the strikers ■will agree to the executive's proposal for an arbitration Board, which Mr. Walklate does' not favour, and so there is no sign of a settlement of the trouble. EMPLOYERS ANDi EMPLOYEES. EACH SIDE SUPPORTED. AUCKLAND, 24th May. At last night's meeting or the Political Labour League thi following resolution was passed : — "That this League is of opinion that the action of the manager of the Electric Tramways Com.pany has been unduly harsh and arbitrary fn not granting an appeal against the charges brought against several employees by the inspectors of tho company, thus driving the men to revolt against his methods in dealing with their employees. This leagu> tenders its heartiest sympathy and moral support to tho tramway employees." Tho Employers' Federation urges Mr. Walklate to stand firm. Yesterday Mr. Grosvenor, secretary of the Auckland Provincial Employers' Association, waited upon Mr. Walklate and urged him not to deviate from the position he had taken up in so far as it related to the right of employers to constitutionally discharge an employee by giving him either a, week's notice or a week's pay in lieu thereof, as such a precedent, if once established, would be productive of far-reaching consequences to employers generally. Mr. Walklate assured Mr. Grosvenor that he had no intention of jeopardising employers' rights in the direction indicated, and thanked him for the promise of the strongest support from the Employers' Federation. EFFECT ON TRADE. FBy TrLKGRArn. — Special to The Post.] : AUCKLAND, 24th May. The efforts to bring about a settlement of tho strike having so far proved abortive, a complete deadlock exists. Meanwhile traffic has become almost paralysed, the small number of 'buses put on the road being far from a' satisfactory substitute fur the "tramway service, with all its defects. The city shopkeepers are feeling the effect of the strike in the shrinkage of their sales^ but the suburban retailers are rejoicing, as their takings have been considerably greater j since the strike commenced. It was hoped that the suggestion to refer the dispute to a special board of arbitrators was to be adopted, but this has been declined. The general manager of the company is perfectly satisfied to refer all tho points of issue to tho Arbitration Court, but the men will not listen to this proposal. Mr. Rosser, secretary to the union, states that if they went to the Arbitration Court the union would probably lose, as the decision would be given on law, but "law," he said, uoes not always mean "justice." The union's want of confidence—amounting almost to contempt — in the Arbitra1 tion Court was unmistakably shown by its scornfuJ rejection of the suggestion to entrust it with a settlement of the trouble.