RAILWAY CURTAILMENT.

Mataura Ensign, 18 April 1917, Page 5

RAILWAY CURTAILMENT.

"OWING,TO COAL STRIKE. WAIKAKA AND~w'aIKAIA LINES CLOSED. FROM MON DAY NEXT. The. Railway Department, in view of I the serious position caused by the coal strike, has now decided on a. much more drastic curt ailment of services than that announced yesterdav. The object is to conserve the coal stocks in order to be ■'■ able.to continue, running on the main lines rather than to give the more liberal service previously announced and possibly have to el org l down altogether. ■ This district will be badly hit by the proposals,'the Waikaka and Switzers branches being closed down in the meantime, while the Glehham line is to have only a- tri-weekly service, and the'express between Core and Kingston will also be thrice weekly. ; Travellers are , asked to make only such journeys as are absolutely necessary, and those . away from; home-are. advised to make their way back at once as the new service comes into operation on Monday next". Particulars of the time-table alterations appear in our.business columns. Si A 11. ME NT BY THE MINISTER. DRASTIC STEPS IMPERATIVE. THE BARE ESSENTIALS. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 17. The Minister of.Railways made the following statement this evening in, reference, to the announcement by the Railway Department about curtailed as from Monday next: —-

«■ "Consequent on the serious shortage oi coal the Government considers that th>. time has arrived when it is imperative to curtail transport facilities. Althovgh the railway has : fair stocks of coal,it has. not been a-hie to • build up the'irie,cessary reserves owing to the re> quireiients of •■ transports and essential industries, "and also on-account of the 'go slov' policy of the miners and the difficult? of obtaining ships to bring coal frb'ti New South Wales. ' 'The ! r?cent -action of the miners on the West Coast has -accentuated the position, f,hd makes a drastic curtailment an absolute necessity ' -without waiting for May 6th, the date the staff's saving scheme "was to be inaugurated. "From Monday nest the 'coal, saving' service will le brought into operation, and will applj to passenger and goods trains in ordei that the coal stocks for the 1 railway mty be eked out as long as possible. • "It will be necessary to limit' the goods traffic strictly to foodstuffs for local consiunpfcioii and export for the use of the Imperial authorities, perishable articles, animal fod'der,. and sneh items of general raerchandiso as are considered to come Under the heading of essential. '.'■'. t - '''-.... "Goods such as timber, builders' materials, fencing materials, green ilax, flax in bales, cement and corrugated iron/ all Vehicles, stray, all minerals except coal and coke and goods which .come generally, under glasses "N," "1"' and "Q," and lime for manures will not be. carried. v .; ■-■ "It will therefore be s<>eh' that the action of the miners will have a serious effect, oh many, e-sseutiai industries which give employment .to a very considerable number.of- workers,,.and from which the railways .derive a large amount of traffic. ,■■• .

"It-is very desirable, that■.those imein-. bei-s ;6f tlie community, now '-away from their homes he. immediately warned through the press to refcuvn not later than' Saturday. After tiheu a strictly limited passenger and .goods-'business only can be provided for until such time as the coal miners resume work 'and amp]©"coal-stocks'have been accumulated. '""'•.• ■ v ''This intimation, is given so that the l-üblic may have the longest warning possible. t ■ ■ '■ "It is hoped, however, that the visit to the West Coast of Sir .James Allen and the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald.may have., the .eilect of inducing the miners to return toMvo.rk before Monday, in which case these curtailments, which will entail : inconvenience' and loss to the public, anay be avoided." ■ '" " LABOR FEDERATION'S ATTITUDE. CONSCRIPTION OF WEALTH. CHRISTCHURCH, April 17: The following telegram was sent today to Sir James Aden by Mr Hiram Hunter, National Secretary of the United Federation of Labor : "The United Federation of Labor is of opinion that the miners who are striking-against the Conscription Act are expressing the attitude of organised labor throughout Australasia towards conscription, and if the Government is desirous of obtaining industrial peace it should immediately suspend the operations of the "'Military Service* Act and secure recruits voluntarily by taxing wealth and thus provide the money to pay adequate remuneration to soldiers, ■with increased pensions and allowances to them, and their dependents by right." PROTEST MEETINGS SUGGESTED. "NAPIER, April 17. .. The Hastings Chamber of Commerce to-night, when discussing the seriousness of the industrial unrest at present manifesting itself in the coalmining districts of New Zealand, passed the following resolution:—

"This Ohainber suggests that mass meetings be held in all -centres to give an expression of public opinion on the action of the men in resorting to the strike weapon during the crisis of the war tor 'democracy and individual lib-. , erty and feels confident that the better sense of the people of the Dominion expiessod at such mass meetings will lead the- strikers to realise 'the seri-' ousness of their action and return to work." , ■ , ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES. PENALTY l<Y)lT^l^rEßl' , ERENCE. April 17. An Ordor-in-Couneil has beeii Gazetted deeJarin'a: the following to be essential industries .slapping industry, | the carriage of'foods by laud or sea, | loading and' unloading "of ships', and the ! frozen meat" industry. Persons acting- in 1 a manner to interfere with these services are Ha hie te a fine of £IOO or 12 months' imprisonment. EAST COAST STEAMER SERVICE. Sl" S PEN 1) E iTis DE FIN ITELY. I DUNEPTN, April 18. On account of the coal crisis the I Union 'Steam Ship Company Iras decided |to withdraw the Monowai from the I Dunodin-East Coast-Auckland service |ou arrival at Duneclin next TuesÜbiy. The vessel will lay up at PoH Chalmers indefinitely, and there will [probably be no passenger service be I tween the North Island ports next | week.