COMMONWEALTH OFFICES IN LONDON.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 27, 1 February 1912, Page 7

COMMONWEALTH OFFICES IN LONDON.

♦ EXAMPLE FOR OTHER DOMINIONS TO FOLLOW. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. (Received February 1, 8.30 a.m.) LONDON, 31st January. The London County Council hat endorsed the sale ol the Strand cite for i the Commonwealth offices. There was some opposition to the sale of the freehold, but it was over-rulea. The hope is expressed that other Dominions will follow the example ot the Commonwealth.

It is many years since Wellington was in the grip of a strike such as that precipitated by the tramway men last evening. When the disaffected employees left their cars in the afternoon the public, who journeyed into the city in the morning understood that the sevice would be resumed about t£ p.m., and that if a strike were decided upon due notice of such determination would be handed to the City Council in the terms required by tKe Arbitration Act. Such, however, was not the case. The meeting held in The King's Theatre lasted over an hour, and when the men filed out, the order given was : "Take the cars back to the shed and leave them there*!" This brief but explicit command was obeyed to the letter. The public residing at the south end of the town rushed the cars. Seldom, if ever before, has ■the service been so severely taxed 'as it was on the short run to Newtown. Men, women, and boys could be seen hanging on to straps and stanchions, but there was no disorder. Outside^Tho King's Theatre, where the first strike meeting was held, the crowd was equally good-natured and orderly. Extraordinary precautions were taken by the strike executive to see that no reporters were admitted to the deliberations. Before the meeting commenced the idea got abroad that a newspaper man was seated in the body of the hall, and two reporters waiting outside were called in by. the leaders and asked to see "that the course was clear." The executive was promptly informed that as it had been decided to hold the meeting in camera the press would respect the decision, and would accept any official intimation made after the meeting terminated. The meeting then proceeded with closed doors. All that could be heard outside was occasional cheering as some speaker made a point which apparently appealed to the strikers. The crowd outside waited for the exodus, and a moving picture representative industriously kinematograpned tEe assembly. In the evening the town presented an unusual appearance. The customary noise of the trams gave way to the rush of motor-cars and taxi-cabs, .and the flying hither and thither of cabs. These are golden days for the chauffeur and the cabby ! Unfortunate people who had booked seats for the Opera House trudged into town and out again in the night air. The attendance at the picture theatres was sadly depleted, but many hundreds of people -who usually stay "at home came into the city and walked about the streets, anxious to know the latest. On all sides opinions, both favourable and antagonistic to the action of the men, could be heard.