The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1908. THE AUCKLAND STRIKE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13602, 23 May 1908, Page 4

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1908. THE AUCKLAND STRIKE.

The mnsfa satisfactory neivs available today respecting the strike of the Auckland Tramway Company's employees is th? announcement contained in the general manager's letter that on the initiative of the Union a conference is to be held ill is morning to discuss the matter in dispute. Yesterday's telegrams appeared to indicate that the fighting spirit had taken hold of the men, and that the prospect of amicable negotiations was hopeless unless the first advance came from the company. In response to a suggestion from oim of {lie Auckland members of Parliament that a conference should be held with the manager, a reply had been made by the Union's secretary that

"the general manager should come to them." How far thi* official had "-hs support •>( the members* ♦>£ the Union in adopting this non-conciliatory attitate we- have nov mean* of knowing, but «'«' judge* that the majority of. the n»en must hu.ve> made* it clear at their meeting ye*teeday morning that they weie more concerned about securing a. .settlement of the dispute a* speedily a* posstMe than alwuit observing si. regard t»r r.lv<* dignity, or supposed dignity, of their Union. At

any: rate they have b'en well :Hlvi.*.ed :n deciding to invite a. conference with the general manager, and the latter ban (>•■'* e*|Balty in iicccpiiiiji the •►»»»i*>i tuiiity to nie-t re|,ire>«ei.i!:ativ»s *.f -I'.e men fur a disenssinii of the >it'.i.»ti»i. r Vhr inci>ovenienee t.» the public, and *h" direct: Insn to bnr.iiws.s tirm-s. : e-uttrui": from the stoppage of th-» city'', ttanuvavsyntem. would have thrown public opmi.u* xttongly agaiiusti either party which te framed to ittlempt. a speedy settlement *' r ' thi* dispute hy the simpte e.\p,'*tien- • »»f a conference.. The men cowtd FiarJfy afford to run the ri.sk of alienating thi moral support »f the people by decti cng to.invite a tonfereiue. ha- th- n»ni;er had atready allowed it to h.'come p.tbite property that he hid sfu.wn a ie.i(Kriesa to discns.s tile caase of the ttispute with th.'m. and further than that, to *nbmit it to arbitration- He had suggested that, the Union .should nominate two arbitrators a-uri the Company should appoint, tww mor.-. i»nd that the four arbitrators* ishould elect an umpire—an informal tribunal which bears a dW- resemblance to the Indnscciat Conncils by which the Hon. J. A. Millar has proposed tr>

reptaiv tb<» present Ctmediatton Boards. The manager'* appears a thoroughly reasonahNs oiv. and we imagine that when the ttv>*t r.vttenunt of the strike* hint pu.ssed. thv men mit-t, havefelt It to he ■;«, and realised that they would prefudke themselves in the «ye» of th*» public troths? th;'y made- some effort to avail themselves of the opportunity for tfe investigation of their grievance* which they hart rejected in favour of an appeal to fnr*v. ,'iV point at- i>~sue between the Union ami the- Cornpiiny has reference to th<* diMhfss.tt of m-en from the servif.\ Under, an tvwr.nl „J thr Arbitration Co-orr whkh L* -stilt in ' fonv. an empUw dism'uved by any nlt'Uai- of ih- I'omjrtuy o.U r than the general manager ha.: th> of appeal to- th* general manager, ami afso the right. tt> produce any evidenee he may think proper for th<- manager's t-oa-Ulera-tt'nn. The- Union contends that this agreement- ha* been infringed by t heCompany, th* latest instance being tin*, instant discharge of a conductor with a week's, wage* in ilea »>£ nai.it e. Obviously, if" the Union's contention ts valid, the]

Company ha-* rendered itneFf amenable- to the law. hut that is a question f»r th** Arbitration Court to- d-euide. Instead of setung the- legal mathinery in motion, and having the matter sifted by tin? Achit-ratinn Court. tU- men have- chosen to go on strike, thereby exposing tn*mselves t«> the proetrdtngs which art* to bf' instituted against the Union on Monday. The whole- thing is very regrettable, hut we can hardly wonder that the Auckland tramway employees have shown this seahk respect for the tribunal appointed to control industrial disputes. They h.tve seen other workers getting all they wanted through strikes, and they ha,ve naturally enni-lnded that there is no reason why hhey should fail where slaughtermen and miners have- sm-ceeded. The- only matter, for surmise is how mm-h longer our lopsided system of arbitration is going to fast. "\