CHRISTCHURCH TRAM SERVICE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 20 June 1912, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH TRAM SERVICE.

« RESULT OF THE BALLOT. WISE COUNSELS PREVAIL. BY TfcT.EGEAPH— VKT~". ASSOCIATION. CHRISTCHURCH, June 19. Thd vote taken at the two meetings of the tramway employees yesterday indicated that the proposal "to strike oti Monday next did not find favor, even among members of the union themselves. The morning meeting, composed of the night shift, was attended "by 60 inert, 38 of whom voted in favor of a s^-ike, and 22 against. That gave the strike party a majority of 16. At the evening meeting, composed of the day shift, those present Avere' almost unanimous against a strike. There were 105 men at the meeting, and of that number only six voted for a strike, 99 recording their votes against it. On the two meetings the figures were: Foi" a strike, 44; against, 121. The discussion at the meetings was at times of a very animated nature. ! The secretary of the union, Mr H. Hunter, strongly urged that the men \ should stick to their first resolution, tosuspend traffic on Monday afternoon. It might, he said, mean gaol, and he himself would be prepared to share imprisonment with the men. I A calmer view of the situation was, however, taken by a majority of the traffic men present. A number of those who spoke admitted that no fault could reasonably be found with the construction of the roster, as far as that went, but what they wanted was that men employed on broken work and kept Raiting about all day should be paid for eight hpurs each day. Even wiser counsels prevailed at the evening sitting, when a number of the older men urged the meeting not to precipitate trouble when it conld be avoided. Peaceful methods should first of all be submitted, and, above all, the first thine to do was to approach the Board by letter or deputation and urge the claims of the men affected, aud wait and see who* attitude the Board would take up. That was a more proper course to follow than the one proposed. Mr Hunter, secretary of the Tramway Union, denied having, at the meetipys held yesterday, urged the men to strike. He bays that be advocated a peaceful anneal to the Board, with a j view to getting grievances remedied. He made no reference fco gaoling at all.