STRIKE EPISODES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3774, 13 July 1926, Page 48

STRIKE EPISODES.

N#W ZEALAND VOLUNTEERS. HOW SOME HELPED. THE HUMOUROUS SIDE. (Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, May ia Mr and Mrs Bernard Tripp (Timaru) arrived in London from Brussels three days before the general strike began, and Mr Tripp at once offered his services and car to the Red Cross. As all the taxi and busmen were out on strike, the outpatients —all poor people— were unable to get to the hospitals, and this transport had to be done by voluntary workers. After the third day of the strike the Red Cross was able to get plenty of help, so Mr Tripp offered his services as a special constable. Ho first tried to get in the mounted constables, but was turned down is being too old. He then tried other police stations, and after going to five, reducing his age each time ne was at last passed by Scotland Yard—by which time he was considerably younger l His section of special constables was given the beat from Elephant and Castle to Waterloo Station, which is supposed to be a rather bad part of London. The strikers had burnt a bus in this locality a few days before, but Mr Tripp did not see any serious trouble, and he speaks very highly of the wonderful order kept by the strikers. After having many chats with them when he on his “beat” Mr Tripp came to the conclusion they were a very fine lot of men who had only been badly led, and was very sorry for all among them who would be thrown of work by the illegal action of their VOLUNTEER HELPERS FROM CAMBRIDGE.. During the strike most members of the Heitiki Club, Cambridge—they are all New Zealanders —were engaged in service to help the Government, either as special constables, despatch riders, dock workers, of as bus drivers. Three at least of them were attracted by the opportunity to drive London buses, namely, Mr N. M. Louisson, Mr J. E. Elliot (both of Auckland,) and Mr J. N. Peart (Raglan), who put in five days driving buses on the ordinary routes, and they had a wonderful experience. Practically every member of the club was doing something. Now the men have examinations in view, after a fortnight’s postponement. However, in view of the delay in re-starting essential services, the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University gives to undergraduates engaged on emergency work the assurance that their interests will be further and fully considered, and that they are not expected to return to Cambridge while their services are urgently n led elsewhere. Mr C. J. Wray was at the headquarters of the London Underground Railway Company for the fortnight, where much organisation was necessary. Mr R. H. Sarsfield (the well-known lecturer and entertainer) was a special constable with food convoys from the docks. Mr G. Edgar, grandson of the late Mrs Baker (“Alien”), who is in London, gaining experience preparatory to being a student of surveying, was drafted as liftman and ticket collector at Piccadilly Tube Station. There were several New Zealand girls, with motor cars, who undertook various much-needed duties with their cars, and one of them travelled in charge of the mail to Ipswich. EARL AS PORTER. With 1000 passengers, including 800 settlers proceeding to Canada, the White Star liner Baltic left Liverpool on Saturday. Loading two lorries at Lime Street station on Friday with baggage for the Baltic, the baggage men were surprised to receive an offer to help from the Earl of Lathom, who started heartily to work, and the two conveyances were loaded up in 40 minutes. Lord Lathom had driven in his car to the station, about 1.30, and, finding that he had two or three hours to wait for the London train, on which he expected friends, he decided to give a hand with the loading. Westminster underground station was in charge of volunteers who were members of Parliament. PRECIOUS APPLES. A meat convoy from Dockland to Smithfield, consisting of over 130 lorries, brought three lorries packed with cases of New Zealand apples, the red-fruit design on the boxes providing a splash of colour to cheer up the sombre khaki and the tin hats of the military on their long trek to the terminus. DRIVER OF 78. The Australian and New Zealand passengers by the Comorin had a fin© run up to London from Plymouth, where they had been ordered to disembark. They came right through with only two stops in only thirty minutes more than the best nonstop record for this journey. The driver was formerly ono of the “crack” men of the Great Western, who retired long ago on the score of age However, despite his 78 years, he volunteered for tne footplate in the emergency, and the passengers had a splendid lourncy. To show their appreciation, the hat was passed round, and the popular veteran driver received a “tip” worth having. HUMOROUS INSCRIPTIONS ON THE BUSES. The Morning Post has gathered a collection of inscriptions scrawled in chalk on the sides of general buses driven bv volunteers during the strike. A few of them are serious, many of them are commonplace; but some gleam with sly humour. One bus bore a large wreath, hung over the number-plate, composed of red, white, and blue flowers, with the inscription in the middle, “Emperor Cook”; while yet another bore a wreath of carrots and turnips, draped with black crepe, and bearing tne words in the oentre, “T.U.C.—In Klenioriam.” One bus announced that it was “Running by Order of the Union—Jack”; while another florid conveyance apologised for ita hue by stating that it was “Red—but All British!” Moeoow and its inhabitants are pilloried in many forms; while one geniua produced the following:

T. Tried. U. Useless. i C.—Copped It FOR WOMEN. Many and vaiied were the inscriptions designed to attract women on board. “Flappers Preferred” was one of them; while one conductor beamed over the kindly notice, “Young Ladies May Sit in Front.” Another notified the world, in its modest way, that “Only the Brave Deserve the (3d) Fa(i)re.” A third, which had had its windows smashed, announced: “We have no panes, dear mother, now.” In another case, where glass no longer remained, the boarring across said: “Wb entrance; exit only,” There was a ring of war days in “We » Want to Leave You, but We Think We’ll Have to Go,” displayed during the last days; while another announced mat it was calling at “Wypers, Mons, and Hyde Park Corner.” Ana, of course, no volunteer convoy would be complete without its “Better ’Ole.” Pathetic was the last-day text of one driver,' chalked on the bonnet, “A Soldier’s Farewell.” One only hopes that he has been given a permanent job. “Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Interfere” suggests that the driver had one© read his Dante; while the pathetic appeal, “Don’t Shoot the Driver—He is doing his best,” was reminiscent of many Wild West films. Another asked pedestrians to “Join the Expedition to the W T ild, Uncharted Regions of the River Crickle.” The stage was ransacked for humour. One bus announced that 't was “positively its last appearance,” while another stated that it was going “The Only Wav.” Another asked for ita “White Cargo.”