Sydney Strikes

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 209, 5 April 1913, Page 5

Sydney Strikes

government offer rejected. Further extension of trouble imminent. transit at a standstill. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, April 4. The efforts continued late last night to settle the railway strike proved futile. The position is delicate and important developments are probable today. • A mass meeting of the men unanimously rejected Mr. Carmichael's proposals, which had the Railway Commissioners' sanction, that the men should return to work pending a reference to a special wages board. The strike has extended to the Sydney goods sheds, where fifty weighbridge clerks, lashers and shecters' have vacated their posts. It is 1 reported that the shunters are on the verge of coming out, and it has also also been decided to call out the employees in the Alexandria y.ird=. This would completely cripple the Sydney goods traffic. The railway clerks decided to cease work if asked to do the strikers' duties. The Newcastle men have been asked to join the strike. The object of gaining their support is to prevent goods being conveyed by sea to Newcastle and thence forwarded north and west by Tail.

It is understood that it is not the present intention of the strikers to seek the extension of the trouble to the passenger traffic, but the men make no secret of the fact that if they are in difficulties the guards may cease work. The Trolly and Draymen's Union has heen asked to support the strike hy refusing to cart goods to and from the railway yards. The despatch of goods to countrv •tations is at a standstill. Immense quantities are standing in the trucks and piled in the sheds, unguarded from the weather. The sheeters having joined the strike makes it impossible to cover the goods. The dislocation of citv business is widespread and serious. It is also feared that unless an earlv settlement is reached, many countrv "towns will be placed in an unenviable position owin" to want of supplies. The citv fruit and vegetable supply is threatened. The milling trade is jeopardised and th«re is a possibility of manv employees beiiif rewWed idle owing, to lack" of wheat supplies from the country. The latest development in the Barrier strike is that all the men who had remained in the employment of the Silvertown Tramwav Company have been ealled out and "the premises r>ifW,ed Before work was stonped, several truck loads of chaff reached town, temporarily relieving the position so far as feeding tne large number of mine horses is concerned, but famine in this and a imml.-r of other commodities cannot lon* be staved off. The clerks have fallen into line with the strikers and formed a union.

The Minister of Railwavs asked tlie Commissioner to meet the" wishes of the men m every possible war. The Commissioner objects to an award of the proposed wajres board leing made retrospective. This is-the one stumblinn Moek m the way of n settlement. As a result of the southern coal strike Hughes and So.'s woollen mills at Hotanv have been closed. The Northern Miners' Delegate Board has struck a levy of 2V 2 per cent, for the support of the southern strikers

RAILWAY TROUBLE EXTENDING

Received 4, 9.53 p.m,

Sydney, April 4. The shunters at the Darling Harbor yards have resolved to cease work. The shunters at the Sydnev, Alexandria and Clyde yards will do likewise, but in order to avoid inconveniencing the public as far as possible, the shunters have decided to continue to work the passenger trains. There is a two-fold reason for this action, as they want 10s a day instead of !)s per day, and sympathise with" the porters' strike. The president of the Council of the Railway and Tramway Unions of New South Wales have convened a meeting ot the Council to consider the position. No date has as yet been fixed for the meeting.

There seems a possibility of cleaners, fitationary engine-drivers, cran«-drivers, firemen, fuelmen and pumpers joining the strike, unless the hearing of grievances by the Wages Board is expedited. The secretary of the Federated Enginedrivers' and Firemen's Union has communicated with the Department, requesting that in view of the delay in hearing their grievances, the men be paid immediately the rates provided by the engine-drivers' award of March 26.

THE MINERS' STRIKE,

ASSISTANCE FROM NEW ZEALAND,

Received 4, 9.55 p.m. Sydney, April 4. The Northern Colliery Proprietors today considered a letter from the Newcastle Colliery Employees' Federation, requesting a conference and settlement of the Lambton B and Stockton Borehole trouble within seven days. The proprietors decided to reply that they were unable to grant a conference while those collieries were idle, but were prepared to submit the dispute to the local Board of Arbitrators for each colliery, work to be resumed as soon as the proceedings of the Board begin. The proprietors also favor the extension of the system of settling disputes by local arbitration, each colliery to have a similar board. The proprietors request the miners to take a ballot regarding the latter proposal. The position of the South Coast mining strike is unchanged. The conferences suggested by Mr. Carmichael will be held next week. The New Zealand Federation of Labor lias cabled £2OO to assist the South Coast strikers. It is officially stated that the assistance from other quarters is very encouraging.

PICKETING TRAMWAY OFFICIALS,

SUPPLIES OF FOOD STOPPED,

Received 3. 1.10 a.m. Sydney. April 4. The Broken Hil! strike continues. Tlic bouses of tlie officials of the Silverton tramway have heen picketed. The pickrls intercepted tradesmen and would not allow them to deliver the necessaries of life: hut they allowed milk to be delivered to one house where there was a sick child. The service on the Silverton trams is plill hung up. and eommunieatmion outsiilo Broken Hill is confined to motors and bullock teams. So far none of the mines are affected. The Tramwav Company states that it will not object to employees joining the union if certain officers are exempted.