OTIRA TUNNEL STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16796, 12 March 1918, Page 4

OTIRA TUNNEL STRIKE

NO FRESH DEVELOPMENTS.

WORK TO BE ACCELERATED.

[BY TELEGRAm.—OWN' CORRESPONDENT]

: CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. There have been no further developments in connection with the strike among the men engaged on the Otira Tunnel works. Tho union is endeavouring to secure a new rate of pay for firing boilers. The Arthur's Pais Tunnel League has advised the men to return to work, and has stated that in that, e\ent it will endeavour to have matters settied. Tho men, however, seem determined. to remain on strike until certain demands are granted. Great disappointment is felt on the West Coast regarding the strike, which is the second within a month. Only lbj chains of tho bottom heading remain to be driven before the tunnel is pureed, which should be about the end of this year. The country passed through dining tho last three weeks has been the softest yet met, but at present it shows tigrig of hardening up again. The Mayor ol Christchurrh. Mr. Ho], land, telegraphed to Otira asking v hether the men had resumed work, and stating that he desired the information in rrder to be able to report to the meeting r,i the executive 'of the Arthur's Pass 'funnel League. Mr. Holland received the follow. ing reply from tho secretary of the Tunnel Workers' Union:—" Impossible for men to start work until we receive an answer from the Minister." Mr. Holland has received a communication from tho Minister for Public Work% in reply to a letter forwarded to Sir William Fraser asking him to receive a deputation that would urge the rapid completion of tho tunnel. Newspaper representslives were informed by Mr. Holland that the Minister's letter was confident'. Ha stated, however, that the letter was satisfactory, and the effect of it was that it would be more profitable for the league, instead of sending a deputation to Wei. lington, to find the Minister the men required for tho work, as ho was quite prepared to put on as much labour as ha could get and go ahead with the work of completing the tunnel. Mr. F. W. Furkert, of the Public Works Department, has gone to Otira to investigate the men's grievances.