AUCKLAND TRAMWAY STRIKE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14707, 7 June 1920, Page 1

AUCKLAND TRAMWAY STRIKE.

(Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND. June 6. There is still no sign of a termination of the strike. None of the inotormen or conductors applied, for work during the week-end. ' The Mayor and Special pommittee of the Council set up to act in conjunction with him in the matter make the following official announcement"The Council is standing firm in its decision to require that- discipline and authority must be upheld, and this is fundamental to settlement."

Tlie Tramway Union and the Auckland branch of the Transport Workers' Advisory Board held meetings on Saturday to: further discuss the situation. No decision was arrived at with regard to future action, the meetings being adjourned. Members of both organisations met again this morning and afternoon, when Mr J. Roberts, National' Secretary of the Transport WorSfers' Federation, was present. Xp to five o'clock no decision had been arrived at.

While the tramwaymen are on strike, the jockeys, for whom they struck, are at work. 'This'situation is unlikely to be altered, judging by a statement made by representatives of the Jockeys' Association on Saturday. The position seems to be that the dispute with the racing clubs and racehorse-owners being sub judice, the jockeys fear to lose their means of employment if they join their sympathisers in striking. " They will therefore ride at the races to-morrow, and again on Wednesday, unless something unforeseen occurs in the meantime to change their attitude. The railwavmen as a bodv are opposed to the strike, and to "any idea of joining it. They can see 110 reason for the strike, and none why thov should participate in it, or be "drawn into the dispute. The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants is to meet to-morrow morning, but members interviewed during the week-end expressed the opinion that it was quite unlikely they would recede from the position they have taken up. They stated that it' is erroneous' to suppose they, are affiliated with the Transport Workers' Federation. Their only connection therewith, they stated, ..was'that their President was also President of the Transport Workers' Advisory Board. There is considered to be no reason to believe, therefore, that any railwaymen in either branch of the service will refuse to take out the race trains tomorrow morning,, or on Wednesday. They say the jockeys are riding and the totalisator employees are workers, why then should they refuse to run the trjins to the races. The attitude of the waterside workers is also against actively joining in the strike unless their hands should bo forced by any action of the shipowners. They state that they have obeyed the edict of the Transport Workers Advisory Board declaring the races "black." to" the extent of refusing, to load or' discharge race horses on .to or from vessels. They are not disposed to go beyond that at present.

Similarly the seamen, affiliated like the waterside workers with the Trnnnport Federation, are confining tEeir sympathy with the jockeys and strikers to refusing to carry racehorses in their ships. It is a point of some 'tribulation to the tramwaymeu, thatvsthe action of the seamen and waterside workers is on all fours with tlieir own refusal to take out the race cars, and -that, while they have lost their positions in consequence; no such fate has befallen the other two bodies of workers. The tramway-men would appear therefore to be alone in their action. \ . > That many of the : tramwaymen are realising just how ' foolish they have been is evident from the remarks of those seen during: the week-end..-' A 'surprisingly large number are, from all accounts, in the dark as to why they are on strike at all. "We were guided by the spirit of unionism," said,one, "but it looks to some' of us as if .we had been made tools of." Another man admitted that in the first stage of the strike;, some of them thought that- the City Council would give way to them, and seek to settle-with them on their own terms. Thev were beginning to recognise now, however that they had misconstrued the fair spirit in which the Council had met them in regard to previous disputes and - the new agreement into a sign of weakness. The number willing to _ continue/ on strike for - the sake of a very doubtful principle, however, was stated to be dwindling daily.