MELBOURNE TRAMWAYS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXXII, Issue 58, 6 May 1924, Page 5

MELBOURNE TRAMWAYS

UGLY STRIKE SITUATION.

TROUBLE DEVELOPING.

Prgs# A&aoclation—Copyright. (Received 10.25 a.m.) Melbourne. May 6

An ugly situation occurred in connection with the. tramway strike, when two constables passing a crowd which had congregated outside tho Socialist Hall were subjected 10 hooting and abuse. The constables, after being threatened by the crowd, turned and made off with a kra« section of the mob in pursuit. They had gone about one hundred yards when one of them turned and fired a revolver at the cruwd. The cartridge was a blank one, but had the effect of stopping the pursuit. The incident, appeared to put the crowd in an angry mood, and several street lights followed. Shortly after, a detachment of police arrived and dispersed the gathering. Following the disturbance, two arrests were made. Many of the crowd threatened the police who were making the arrests, but after some trouble the angry section was quelled. AH the trooper s were ordered to be ready for immediate action. Police leave was cancelled. No trams were run yesterday, except on some of the electric circuits, but tho full effect will not be felt till to-day, as yesterday was a holiday.

The railway department ran many extra trains to cope with the traffic.

The. Victorian Branch of the Australian Railway Union meets to-night when it is expected the tramway strike and the railway employees' attitude will be discussed. Official: The Tramway Board stated that until the cable trams ceased yesterday, they had been running continuously except on Sunday mornings for thirty-six years. A meeting of the Tramway Union passed a resolution placing the matter in the hands of the Trades Hall Disputes Committee, also favouring a fight to a finish.