U.S. WALES RAILWAY STRIKE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17083, 15 August 1917, Page 6

U.S. WALES RAILWAY STRIKE.

A DETERMINED STRUGGLE PROBABLE. FEARS OF SYMPATHETIC STRIKES. A REVOLT AGAINST AUTHORITY. SYDNEY POLICE FORCE AUGMENTED. PROTECTING LOYALIST WORKERS.

(From Oxjh Own Correspondent.) SY'DNEY, August 8. As -was suggested in last week's letter, the railway strike has developed into a Straight-out contest between thje labour organisations and the Government. The position at this moment is that the railwaymen are out, the tramwaymen have joined in out of sympathy, and the strike leaders are attempting to cause a cessation of work in other bg industries. Owing to tho railway dislocation, many big industries like coal-mining are pract cally at a standstill. The men actually on strike number between 20,000 and 50,000, and the men thrown idle by the strike must number at least as many again.

.To-day, the strike is in imminent danger of collapse. There is a lack of unanimity among the -union men, and the moment they begin to fear for the future, there will be a scamper back to work. That scarcnei may take place on Friday morning. The railways and tramways are being worked by volunteers, and the service on each, though necessarily Hm'ted, is improving every hour. The sight of this is shaking tlio confidence of the strikers. The Government has formally announced that all men who are at their posts will lotse nothing in status or superannuation advantages, but after Friday morning, they will re-enter the rail and tram service as newcomers. If nothing happens between how and Friday morning to stiffen the ranks of the strikers, there is every likelihood that the strike will collapse. Danger comes from the wharf labourers and the carters. It is believed that they are willing to throw in their lot with the strikers, and if they do so before Friday the strike will go on, the general situation will then be terribly serious, and l may quite conceivably lead to bloodshed. The strike, as it stands at present, is beaten; that will become apparent very soon. But if the strikers receive reinforcements, the real struggle is still ahead. The Government shows a determined and united front. The railway workshops timecard is a mere side-issue. Everyono now recognises—and, indeed, some of the extreme Labour members'of Parliament have themselves said so—that this is an attempt by the united unions, disgruntled by their recent political thrashings, to smash the National Government The firmness of the Government has already almost broken the present strike, but if it extends, the Government, undoubtedly, will face the ugly task with an unshaken determination to firmly assert its ultimate authority. The temper of the city community, and the reports pouring in from the country, indicate that the process of strike-breaJting, if it comes to a general fight, will follow the course of the operations made familiar to New Zealanders during their big strike in 1913—namely, order maintained by special polico and essential work done by volunteers. By the time this reaches New Zealand, it will be seen whether this is going to be only a railway and tramway strike, which is certain to collapse very soon, or whether other big unions are going to join in. The thing is in the balance at the moment of this writing. So far there has been no disorder., The strikers, in their attitude towards the men running; the trams and trains are as bitter as strikers generally are, but the authorities are most careful to protect adequately the loyal men and volunteers. Yesterday, there was at least one constable on every tram, and there were 50 trams running. There were sufficient tram men reporting for duty to man 100' cars, but not suffioient polico, so the extra cars were not sent out. Instead, the authorities got really busy beating up police reinforcements. They, brought in constables from the outside districts, retired policemen, about 50 prison warders, and a number of men from the military camps, who were suitable and willing for police duties, and at noon today there were 120 cars running, each one adequately .guarded. Similarly, there are police on guard at the various railway stations, and no interference with train crews has been permitted. Missiles have been thrown at both trams and trains when passing isolated localities and bridges. An engine-driver was-- slightly injured on the leg where a bottle struck him last night. Another railwayman was savagely attacked by an unknown assailant in a dark railway yard. But- the very apoarent determination of the police to deal drastically with lawbreakers is discouraging any disorder. Of course. Sydney is "padding the hoof." The passengers carried yesterday were a mere drop in the ocean of would-be travellers. People travelled in carts,. motortrucks, lorries,, or on anything that saved them an unaccustomed walk. But the great majority walked. And the great majority of the walkers were cheerful about it —yesterday. To-day, the novelty is less,, and the ready blisters are more painful. To-morrow, they will be irritable. But to-morrow, even if the end of the strike is not in sight, the tramway services, thanks to the volunteers, will have assumed dimensions sufficient to shift at least a section of the business people. • So far, in order to avoid the temptation towards disorder always offered by darkness, the tramcars are going baok to the sheds s >on after 5 p.m., and the business people are mostly walking home. Last evening the main arteries out of the city, like William street, were an amazing sight. On each footpath was a dense, black mass of people, plodding steadily homewards, and many stoically facing a" walk of four to six miles. The roadway was a screaming line of taxis, private motors, hansoms, 'buses, lorries—of everything almost that goes on wheels. Every man with a vehicle preyed on the helpless crowd. It reminded one, somehow, of seabirds feeding on a school of sprats off the Auckland coast. Many habitual " trammers," living a lonw way out, got lost! This may seem amazing, and yet it is quite feasible. The streets do not follow the tramline, and these people never walk, so that the way home was quito unfamiliar to them. The general ky-out of suburban Sydney streets is sufficient to paralyse any sense of locality—and then the unfortunato pedestrians would try '* short cuts." It is reported that in one locality a humane committee got busy with nhn'llr and, by marks and arrows at the street corners. helped tho walkers to find the shortest way home. The most serious feature of tho strike, as it is now, is the dislocation of' the railway goods traffic. This is causing the utmost inconvenience and much losa everywhere. It was at first feared tha.t there would bo a famine in the city, but it.seems that tho supplies are sufficient to last for some time. Prices at once showed an inclination to soarj but the Government's threat of drastic action to prevent exploitation had a steadying effect. But the loss in many directions is going to be most severe if the goods traffic does not quickly resume. ACTING PREMIER'S APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE. A CONSPIRACY OF EXTREMISTS. With tho full concurrence of the State Government, the Acting-Premier of New South Wales {Mr Fuller) issued' the following appeal on 3rd inst: — In spito of every effort made by the Government to prevent the calamity, this bfcate is m.volvej today in what will probably be one of the most disastrous strikes in the history of the commonwealth. We are not dealing with a revolt of workmen against oppressive conditions. We are dealing with trades unionism for tlio time being under the control of irresponsible and dangerous men, who, for political reasons, have determined to plunge and keep the community in a state of industrial ferment. This unwarranted strike commenccd on the same day as tho most critical battle of tho war m Europe. There are in this <state a limited number of men for the time being in control of several trades unions, who have lost all

senso of patriotism and responsibility, and who are deliberately contributing to tho. success of tho enemies of civilisation by their actions. Tho men on strike to-day aro all Government employees. They have tho full protection of an elaborate system of wages boards created by tho law for investigation of their grievances 'J. hey enjoy numbers of privileges which workmen in private occupations do not enjoy. ■these men, through their leaders, served an ultimatum on the Government, that unless a demand was conceded within 24 hours they would cease work. They refused to respond to every appeal to withdraw this ultimatum. They are striking on a matter of detailed business management, the adoption of which cannot prejudice the interests of any decent workman in the State. Nine-tenths of the men do not know now what the strike is really about, but they are bomg blindly led into this appalling conflict by a few dangerous lcadei'3. Every objection raised to the card system has been carefully analysed, and in the presence of the men's leaders it has been shown beyond doubt that their suspicions are without foundation. llic card system is not antagonistic to union principles. Engineers and other workmen in private establishments have worked under similar systems without protest for years past. Iho keeping of time records in workshops docs not aim at unfair speeding up, and no honest workman has anything to fear from them. Tho Government was ..and still is prepared to guarantee that after the system had* been in operation for three months a public inquiry' shall be held, and if any injustice has been done by its operation the whole matter shall be reconsidered. Every objection to the system is based' on misunderstand.ng and gross exaggeration. Tho Government made an offer to the men to meet them in consultation in order to further explain the card svstem, and the commissioners also offered to allow the system to be thoroughly explained by two of their officers who are known and trusted by the men. In every direction these efforts to dispel the groundless suspicions of workmen were rejected, and the ultimatum was persisted in. The Government is convinced that a section of the men was determined to have a strike under any circumstanccs. There can be no compromise on the part of the Government when an issue of this kind is raised. The time has come for the people of this State to take their stand against those extremists who have for a long time been deliberately conspiring against the public interest and who have been responsible for the industrial ferment which has disgraced this State since the beginning of the war. It may be that tli.s conflict will have serious results, and will [or a long time affect the general prosperity of the State. But in every country there comes a crisis when the people must be asked whether oi not tHey will declare for the supremacy of the State, as against the turbulence of a minority. That is the issue in this conflict. I know that a large scction of the men concerned are not in sympathy with tho strike, but aro blindly following the majority. I know of and appreciate that spirit of loyalty which animates men in their resolve to act together, rightly or wrongly, once a strike begins. But to those who, in their hearts, are against this upheaval, I say that this is not an ordinary strike. This is not a question of loyalty to fellow workmen. This is a case in which the loyalty of a man to the supremacy of the State over the individual is involved. I now solemnly appeal to every workman in the State to consider seriously the direction in which he is drifting, and to stand by the Government in its determination to res;st to the utmost limit the challenge which has been so v.ckedly made by thoughtless leaders. There is yet time to avoid a bitter struggle. Let every man in the railway service seriously reflect on the possibilities of the future. The door is still open for the reinstatement of sensible men. But to many men that door will be for ever shut if they persist in then: present attitude. WILL NEW ZEALAND BE INVOLVED' SEAMEN AND WATERSIDERS AFFECTED. Though _ apparently far from the turmoil of industrial strife which has now set in in New South Wales, it must not be taken for granted lihafj New Zealand . will ■ not bo affected by the strike —it is even quite possible that the dominion may be drawn into tho maelstrom. Tho Government of New South Wales has notified its intention of fighting the industrial bodies which have now joined in the strike there, and it, of course, goes without saying that the fight must be carried on on the Government's part by free labour. It is recognised by sailors, waterside workers, coal miners, etc., that if cargoes of coal and other goods for New Zealand are chipped by free labour on ships manned by _ " free" seamen the workers in the dominion will be asked by tho unions on the other side to declare tho cargoes "black." If the transport workers in the dominion decline to handle the cargo, the New Zealand Government must of necessity work it —again by free labour. What will happen if such a contingency should arise Gan only be a matter of conjecture, but it is quite safe to say that there aro numbers of workers in the dominion who would agree to come out on a sympathetic strike. It may be . added . that a feeling prevails amongst New Zealand seamen that there is not that ea/sy bond of give-and-take between employer and employee that has prevailed for some years past—that, in fact, the shipping companies are inclined to tighten up the industrial conditions under which the seamen work. EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD FOR COLDS. Mr John W. Doyle, secretary of the Eight-hour and Labour Demonstration Committee, Sydney, writes: "It gives me much pleasure to state I have found Hean's Essence an exceptionally good remedy for colds. Its moderate price and rapidity of action should make a special apoeal to workers with largo families. Hean's Essence supplies a long-felt want in the home." Hean's-Essence is obtainable from chemists and stores, or post free to your address on receipt of price, 2s, from Hean's Pharmacy, Wanganui. Two shillings' worth makes one pmt of finest quality Cough and Sore Throat remedy—as much as you can get of ordinary mixtures for 12s. _4