SYDNEY TRAMS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13657, 28 July 1908, Page 5

SYDNEY TRAMS.

SKItVICI-: IMl'l:i H IM

Sl'l'l'oirr OK Till'. STKIKI-'.HS

rfcrs." A:-M>.-iul i<»n l'-v Tcl.-giaph Copyright *YDN'KY. .Inly 'Ai.

Trams 1 illinium llns liioi imiy". ;<nil ;m jinprowd i-t-rvii .- umn |>i< .inL-.- -1 .lining ill-- da v.

The auihoi it i.-s [ii'i/f.-M; io haw no fear that thev "will !h-. able to Ma:nt;tm th<power supplv. Tlkv have iv-n-ivrd nuniticnis \ ohiijt-tr i.liVn 1• ■ help iun the tl arus.

A tatiall iV. maintained at- XeW castle, but mi attempt ha.s been m.-.de tit t'->uiii'* the running ai Hl'"k >'ll Hill. 'j ICoal Lnmp'-ii;' Union Jiat> noiilk-d (lit* southern coal-owners not to ii' Mime working till 2 o'clock today, t<« enal !•-. them in attend a Tii;lss meeting. -=tln haw b.-<-n called to d-.al with i-iliie it ternal 1 roil Me", but it is believed aWi (i. al. it. has a bearing on. Ih.> tram i rouble.

Hie striker.-; are receiving .many messagu; of support. The Miners' l'edei ;i----tioii and Wharf Labourers' ■iill Lave, adopted resolutions if sympathy am! promised Knpjiort. The- Victorian I.ibour Party has exploited sympathy.

I'OSITIOX VERY CRITICAL

1-.XOIXI- MEN'S DECISION^.

LA P.Ol r R PARTY IX OPPOSITION. SYDNEY, .1 uly 27. ](• Li admitted on all haud."j that tb« position is very critical, and needs must careful handling, or a general strike will be precipitated. All j-'orts of rumouifi are current. Today's developments, which are likely to prow momentous, are anxiously awaited. The Government's intention to uke action under the Industrial Disputes Act is assumed to mean either that it vill agree to appointing a tribunal to consider the dispute, or that, it has been decided to arrest the strike leaden?.

The executive of I lit- railway enginemen. sat all yesterday, arid at. (he eonelusion the secretary announced that it had been decided to stand by the strikers, and whether, immediate action is lt> be taken depends upon the reply, of the Chief Commissioner to a request to be made to "him this morning. The' speeches in the domain demonstration were moderate in character. One speaker declared that the strike is now in the luinds of the Labour Covncil, which has 80,000 Unionists behind it, and they will 6ee it through. Another ibg demonstration was held at Newtown.

It is reported that, the Parliamentary Labour Party was opposed to the strike throughout, and unfavourable to its extension.

MARKING TIME. COURT PROCEEDINGS' OPENED. THE PREMIER STILL FIRM. Received 10.15 p.m., July 27. SYDNEY, July 27. Drenching rain has fallen without intermission throughout to-day. The strikers congregated in large force at the Trades Hall, where various committees conferred. The strictest, secrecy was preserved, the policy apparently being marking time to await the result of the deputation of Labour members to the Premier.

The deputation saw Mr Wade in the forenoon, and he promised to give a reply later.

Meantime, following upon ;i, Cabinet meeting, applications were made to Judge Hey den, President of the Industrial Disputes Court; on belialf of (lie AttorneyGeneral, to pr< secute Mr Lawton, the president, and Mr Warton, the secretary of the Tramway Employees' Union, on a. charge of instigating a strike, and 26 members of the Union for striking. The applications were granted. Mr Wade again saw the deputation in the afternoon, and reiterated the intention of the Government to firmly uphold the law. He definitely refused to appoint, a tribunal outside the Industrial Disputes Act to deal with the case. The strikers must seek reinstatement, and take advantage of the Act to have their grievances dealt with. If they returned to work within a reasonable time proceedings for a penalty in the east's already initiated against tliem will not be proceeded with.

FIGHT TO A FINISH. IN THE POLICE COUKT. IMPROVED CAR SERVICE. Received 31.55 p.m., July 27th. SYDNEY, July 27. Mr Lawton states that the prosecutions are expected to make no difl'erence to the strikers. There are plenty more to fill vacant places. They intend to light to a. finish. A m:>.ss meeting of coal-lumpers decided to support the strikers morally and financially if called upon.

There was a large roll-up at the police court, when the men charged with riotous behaviour arising out; of the strike demonstrations were dealt with. Fines of from £1 to £3 were imposed on the strikers involved.

On the whole the tram men are behaving excellently. The authorities were aide to provide an improved service today. The number <.f cars running considerably increased, and were better patronised; rain compelling many persons to ui~.e them who previously from sympathy with the strikers and other motives, refrained. Tl. is officially stated that hundreds of applications for work were received, including some from strikers. A WEAKENING MOVEMENT. T!ATT.WAY MEN ARE LUKEWARM. Received 1.25 a.m., July 28th. SYDNEY".' July 27. The Trades Hall Council to liighl is d.'seussing" the latest phawii of Ihe Situation. The Press u'as excluded. Non-official reports indicate a weakening of tin- movement in the direction of a general strike. One ot the - causes for" thin ill i-.aid to bo the railway men'* ilisinclinat jou to come out. It is luinoui-L-d that further development; will depend upon the action the I.about' liu-lilbens intend to hike when Parliament meets -tomorrow. it is- considered significant that, the deputation of railway men to have waited upon the Commissioners to-day failed to <l<> ho.

(\w\si-: <>f rm: Tftori;i,K. 'l iir- liajuu.ty < ■ >1111! :< t■ »i"M ;m* | anus agam.--t' the til.*. li'" I s "I tiir llep.ilt in- ill, m (li-U'i t itig ilii lmiK sty in lln- --.'l'I.l' lieket,s. Tli-- il.painil'tital view is llial tllli, SVMelll i-) IK-rfM.:iiy ■ .1 111-al.:. I"

ilisi-nw-i- ilivh,.n. .-i. . oi;,ln. : .;i . ai,.t 1 iuii. ill.- rll'-ek lio\V pill. ll.to 'tp l.ill'ih i.-. t llti i.nly way hi whirl, theirs inn "ling |il 11E >:i i lolia 1 y »li > t allies «I* > (lit- \\ "I'U. Tlits pii,redllt'e (according I" "111' Sydney tiles) is for t lie i.ci-M i snviic liu-nto puti iiafie tickets un t In- vai imi> I in.-s. Tin y I ak«* til'* lillUibrl' of 1 lie tiatll at the line- "t pureliaix*. 11l- aee.iuittam * i t!.e d-j'..lt unlit exaillin.s th.'e tiiket.s and ii-' U a!..e ti» I--11 whether tli.- i i.ndiN l"i' ha- ;."1.1 a. tirkrli liuiiii-tly i.i' lias piike'j iii» a 1.-.ed Mi'Le| . all'l, > * -11 i 11»* ii ayaill," p«.rl. l e. I tin; It i.> a son pie ch.-ck i.n the lew niN- and a. Jii c»<- 1- -.iiuy to v. hieii tin- 110 tier*.( ( "luiiK tul v iiciuii have li" -I' jerl.ion.

" litlL in ail alt. nipt t<> arrive at the actual petition one is ..<ay-> the I eil-gi aphi confronted with a disagreement ;;.s i" tho fael.-s. The tramway employers' statement ic that ihe i-.tiong "lij< hi< u i<» the sn-ret wrivice work that the men idevu-d to .I" ji, iiteasii.naily make mistakes, ami the eomluctor. the victim "f the blunder, L-; wirli.mj. ail opportunity hei:)g given him in defeml liinis -;!. 'J lietlepaitnieiit's ivjily to this is that the aliegat iiiii i., av it hv.tii fiiiuiuatii.n. The men, if. ii pointed out, have the right t<i appeal, ih* court being made up ot selected oiti-t-tiH. The man accused of the oii'ence may conduct his cose himself or lie may have the advice of l;Ls Union officials, or that of a solicitor or barrister, who may appear with liiin as in any court, of law. The evidence is taken on oath, and the officer responsible for the charge is present, and thuii the accused conductor is. confronted with him. Supposing that. thf. appeal is dismissed Ihe coinluctor in tiMitbls hr.is still the right to go higher—to the Railway themselves.

"The department claims the right (r» institute the system as a busmen* preciiutipn. Without it there would be 110 cluck. There i.s nu reason U> suppose that the percentage of disliowi.t conductors is high, and it is not thought so, but wlien the tramway employee are numbered by thousands, it would not- be claimed for a moment by even the conductors themselve.s. that there \ire not some dishonest officials. There is the opportunity fgr theft, and tlhe scheme now in operation is the only feasible one. to combat it." When l.lia comm'rsion, composed of Messrs. Wilfred F.lackett, James Curley, and Jacob Garrard, inquired into the industrial' troubles of the Tramway Department a couple of years ago, the employment of -secret) .service officers, whose duty it was to watch how the drivers and conductors carried out their duties, was one of the matters complained of. Although the Commissioner found that cases of dishonesty wei« not. frequent,' they were of opinion that "special service" officers were necessary to maintain efficiency and to enforce performance of neco sary regulations. " The question as to how the special service men are able to catch offenders who re-issue tickets, while the ticket examiners cannot do so, is an interesting one. It is stated that the conductor that is dishonest. eougli to indulge in the practice generally chooses a time when in all probability his tram will not be boarded by an examiner, before the termini's is reached. The last portions of long journeys aiford him his particular opportunity. There are, after all, not a. great number of ticket examiners in the service—• some. 23 all told doing the work of the whole metropolitan area. "On the other hand, it liu.s to be said that it does not always happen that the. Inmost man has nothing t<> fear from the system of espionage. A case was bi'ought under the. notice of a reporter for t.ho Daily Telegraph recently, which illustrates one danger of a- miscarriage of justice. A conductor gave his journal to the starter to be initialled in the. usual way, and the initials were duly fixed, showing that the conductor started out. with tickets beginning at the specified numbers When lie got i.o his journey's end entering up his journal for the "'return -journey, the conductor found thathe had made a. mistake in the starting number of -one block of tickets, and that he had in reality six tickets which the journal showed had been sold previously. Fortunately for himself he had issued no tickets from that block on the journey out. If he had, and a special service officer had got hold of them, the evidence would have been that the conductor had re-sold old tickets, and the penally would have been dismissal. The system of checking, has to depend upon human fallibility. In this instance the starter putIns initials 011 the journal without really cheeking tjiei number.-.', hence the mistake."