The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1912. THE TRAMWAY TROUBLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 30, 30 January 1912, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1912. THE TRAMWAY TROUBLE.

The veyy grave situation which has arisen in Wellington in connection with the tramway employees, is likely to have far-reaching effects. The men, Iby ballot, have decided to go on , strike if the services of Inspector Fuller are retained by the tramway management, and in this course they are being incited by the Federation of Labour. Our readers have probably followed the case closely enough to know the facts, which briefly are that ; a ticket inspector-appointed to ; overlook and check the work of a certain -section of the'tramway employees, has . given offence by the too thorough execution of his duty. At any rate nothing has been adduced to warrant his removal, except that he is disliked by the men, who demand his dismissal. Very properly the City Council—though it appears to have bungled considerably in the first place in dealing with the matter—has taken the only possible stand it could take, and informed the employees that it must control its own business and that the inspector is to, remain. II the Council were so hopelessly weak and unwise as to submit to the dictation of the tramway employees in this matter, chaos would follow, .and the whole of the inspectors might as well bo at once dispensed with. Further, as the “Dominion” points out, next week or at some future time, the .union might demand the dismissal of the manager or his assistant or anyone else in a position of authority who, dared to offend any section of the (employees in the performance of his duty to the city. Our contemporary very properly holds that the position taken up by the union ii, this matter “is really so preposterous that it is difficult to believe that it has seriously considered what it actually moans,” and that the violent and inflammatory ,manifesto of the Labour Federation should prove the last straw with a long-suffering public, and concludes that “it is quite time that some stand was taken against those overbearing and dictatorial methods. If the Tramways Union wishes to fight the city in so bad a cause, lot it have all the fight it wants. Better to close down the tramways altogether than to hand over the management of this great municipal undertaking to the Tramway Union of Employees.’ ’