RIDE OR WALK?

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1912, Page 8

RIDE OR WALK?

THE TRAMWAY TROUBLE. WHAT WILL THE UNION DO? The general attitude of the public towards the situation which has been created in the city, tramway service is one of expectancy. What will the union do next? The executive, representing all sections of the service with which the union is concerned through its membership, met this morning in the rooms of the secretary (Mr. A. Sutherland) at Newtown. The meeting lasted from 10.30 till 12.30, but at the close the members singly and generally refused to make any statement whatsoever as to what had taken place, or aa to what their intentions were. The answer -to the question : "Have you decided to give the City Council notice of your intention to leave work?" was : "Ask the Acting-Mayor." The secretary declared that no statement would be made to the press at all, adding that he was not aware of any statement of the position being given by a union official to any newspaper since Friday. The other members showed equal reticence. One observed they were under a pledge of secrecy they could not break on any account without the permission of the executive as a whole. WHAT SUPPORT? TRADES COUNCIL PRESIDENT WILL NOT SAY. A Post reporter called on Mr. W. T. Young, president of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council to-day to ascertain if he would express any opinion in view of the possibility*- that the Federation of Labour, the rival Labour organisation, would control the sfirike should one eventuate. Mr. Young, however, declined to make any statement. Other officials of the Trades and they would support the Tramways Union. " NO OVERTURES." A MAYORAL DENIAL. The Deputy-Mayor (Ml*. John Smith) emphatically denies a statement published this morning to the effect that overtures had been made to certain employees in other departments to replace motormen and conductors, If a strike took place, at £1 5s per day for motormen, and £1 per day for conductors, with a five years' agreement. " You might give it an entire contradiction," aaid Mr. Smith to a Poet reporter. "No overtures have been made to anybody ; the thing is ridiculous. It has not even been thought of. • Probably we -would be able to make some arrangements in the event of trouble, but no increases in wages would bo needed. Should a strike be declared, the council will be called together immediately." IF y THE UNION STRIKES. Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act Amendment Act provides that with respect to certain specified industries, includinp tramways, if a worker who strikee does not give fourteen days' notice of intention to strike, he is liable to a penalty of £25. Under the provisions of section 5, the penalty is £10 for a ' strike 'in any industry in which an award or agreement is operating. ' Up till 3.30 o'clock this afternoon the corporation authorities had not received any notification from the Tramway Union. # « Notices have been posted in the carsheds &nd power-house calling a special meeting of the union for 10.30 a.m.. and s ,B.\KT p.m. to-morrow, "to discuss important matters."