NO TRAINS RUNNING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17277, 29 September 1919, Page 7

NO TRAINS RUNNING.

COAL TO BE RATIONED.

RUSH FOR TINNED FOOD.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. CRerd. 10 p.m.) LONDON Sept. 27.

Not a single train is running throughout the country. Omnibuses and tramways in London are running a full service, but they are quite inadequate to meet the demands of the public. Queues a hundred yards long are waiting at the starting places from the early hours, and. many thousands of people are compelled to tramp from distant suburbs. Many travelled on motor lorries, horse waggons and bicycles. The multiplication of vehicles is causing congestion in some streets, and there have been several accidents.

The great strike began in many centres before midnight, through the absence of night staffs. Many long distance trains, fully loaded with cancelled running owing to the absence of signalmen. Naval week-end leave has been cancelled. The Government has imposed restrictions upon the use of gas and electric lighting in order to conserve coal, which is being stringently rationed to dwellings. The Board of Trade has warned the public that it may be necessary to stop coal transport entirely in the interests of food transport. The Government at present, does not intend to provide trains with military crews, but may do so for the transport of food. Existing stocks of petrol are ample, and arrangements are being made for an increase in imports of petrol, though some anticipate a short, sharp struggle. There was a great rush to clear the shops of tinned food in the London area, and tradesmen in the suburbs bad groat difficulty in getting fresh supplies. Milk from Buckinghamit-,- and other home counties was largely held up until lorries were sent to meet local carts arid other conveyances half way. A sympathetic strike of fish porters at Billingsgate seriously delayed the unloading of army lorries bringing -u|,plies to the market from the 1 -in ,i,i.

VEHICLE WORKERS MEET. TRAMS MAY BE STOPPED. A ~'r.,,:an ar.-] N.Z. fable Af-soc iation. rf>cd. in |. in l LONDON. S*pt. 27 There will lie a. meeting of the London and Provincial Licensed Vehicle Worker-' Association tori edit. Official* of t : "- union declare that 1 7 members V. ill s'.ipii"!'! the ra ii \\ .i\ :nc'i and thai omnibuses, tram--, and taxi-cabs will cease to run after to-night.