TRAMWAY TROUBLES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13603, 25 May 1908, Page 5

TRAMWAY TROUBLES.

THE AUCKLAND STRIKE

DEADLOCK STILL .CONTINUES.

Per Press Association.

AUCKLAND, May 23

The conference between Mr Walklate, ; manager:, of. the-.Tramway Company, • and the s; , , : la^te ; d two-, hours.' , ,Mr .to," submit , of "in "d.isjpute.-Vtq .the Arbitration Court-rbut the/:Union on. an Appeal. ; ' Board. of % |wo for .eaolr^side''who '"., woulct : clioqse an ' umpire. .',The ' Secretary, of"- the Labour Department, Mi- Tregear, who .\yjis- present at the conference, strongly urged both sides to endeavour to. settle matters ■amicably. Mr .Walklat-e said that in all trades, the payment of a .week's wages was recognised" in lieu of notice. . In all cases •ofNummary dismissal lie was -prepared to give ■■■; a rea'son and afford aii'' opportunity to call evidence, but where a mail was "discharged" he was pa.ia wages in lieu of notice, "and any change in this; custom involved legal ...points, that had fetter be settled by/the Court. ' He ; was prepared to submit the whole matter, to the Arbijtration Court, and abide by its decision; but he was not .prepared" to say whether he would let. the .question-be; tried by. a self-appointed. tribunaL.. without further consideration. ..If the men were prepared' 'to agree to these , proposals, the service could be resumed immediately. A further .conference of the men. was held in .the afternoon/ which Mr Walklate -.attended.. .. Prior .the exe, •qutive of the Union,-strongly recommended 'the-men to agree to.an Aa-bitration ißoard composed of two-members, from the Union; •two representing the Company, and a fifth. appointed by me .Goyernment-,.fee-fore which all evidence "should'' i>e laid; the proceedings to be open to the pres-'s, and both parties.to abide, by the decision whatever it. might be, and that as soon as the Board was ..satisfactorily appointed the cars should- resume running. .While' the discussion. .' was. proceeding, and before-a vote was:, taken on this proposal, Mr Walklate, arrived,■.. and definitely stated that, the only thing he. could-do was. to agree to submit, the, issues' to-the regular Arbitration. Court. ; - -; : The meeting,.-, however, objected to this course, a?- they were being tried before the Court, their -spokesman said, with offences involving -impi-isonment,' and the Judge, being -a <' Judge, would give • decisions on strict legal lines, whereas the Union admitted that the management had law on its side h> respect to one important Jssue, but the Union was fighting for a natural right, namely, that men discharged with a week's wages should be allowed to know the reason why.- They entered the service with good characters, and such discharges would imply loss of character, After a desultory discussion the conference ended with no decision having been arrived at. . .The men nit-el again on Monday, arid it is more than probable that the strikers will agree, to the executive's proposal for an Arbitration Boardy which Mr Walklate does- not favour, and so therei is no sfign of- a settlement of the trouble.

' EFFECT ON A LAW SUIT. AUCKLAND, May 23. Mr Justice Edwards heard argument today on. a motion for a change of venue of the action brought by the Auckland Cuy Council claiming £7OO, from the Electric Tramways Company for failing to provide, .sufficient rolling gtock. •Counsel for the company -said he- did not think that with the present feeling in Auckland, the company could get an impartial trial here. His Honour suggested that the evidence might.be taken here and forwarded to the Appeal Court for decision. This appeared the onty course or else they would have to take what they could get from an Auckland jury. Argument, was adjourned till Tuesday. DISCONTENT IN CHRTSTCHCRCH.. CHRISTCHUIICH, May 24. At a mass meeting of tramway t-mploy-eesj this morning, it was resolved to .send a. deputation to the Tramway Board asking that, an outside person who had . recently been appointed a ticket-in.- -pec-tor over" their heads, i>e retired; to request a continuance of - the system until recently in vogue by which surplus monies brought in by conductors should be placed to their credit, and used as ;■. setoff against any subsequent deficiency. The Board recently decided to abolish' the. system of crediting surpluses to ccnductoiß and compelled the men to pay ;;11 deficiencies out- of their own pccke>\ A resolution of sympathy was- passed with I lieAuckland tramway employees.