CHAOS IN SYDNEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12086, 15 August 1917, Page 6

CHAOS IN SYDNEY.

LABOUR AKT> THE GOVERNMENT AT WAR. STRIKE SITUATION VERY GRAVE. The Sydney correspondent of the "Star," "writing last Thursday, gives thfei following account of the. great strike, its real meaning, and tho chaotic position that threatens to develop yet more, seriously : For a week there has heen a struggle between the Government' and' the Trades Hall for possession of tho Statetransport services, with consequences ranging from tho ludicrous to tho i tragic. During this period tho raili ways and tramways have he?n practically paralysed. Sydney hns disinterred the ancient, half-forgotten 'bus, and at a single step gone hack to the conditions of the long ago. Instead of an almost continuous stream of cars through the j city and along tho suburban highways, occasional cars have only been detected at long intervals. Instead of hundreds of trains running in and out of the central station daily a dozen or so have been provided. People living in the outer suburbs have journeyed to town in drays and lorries, or been compelled to walk. Those living nearer havo nearly all had to depend on their feet. During the first day or so of tho stoppage there were fearful and wonderful scones at the railway stations—trains rushed by thousands of citizens anxious to either get to work or home, girls and women passed in through carriage windows, .stops and platforms crowded to tho last; available inch of spaco. In tho mornings and ■evenings the main approaches to tho city along which peoplo havo been transported in car loads aro crowded with a pedestrian humanity. So far tho inconvenience lias been taken in good part, for, of course, the weather is just now beautifully line and perhaps most people feet tbemselves better for the compulsory cxerciso they are getting. Naturally enough the cessation of all traffic except that of a purelv business character is playing navoc.with the trade in tho city shops, and in the evening the managers of the theatres feel very sorry for themselves. Apparently tho strike will be almost general by tho end of tho week. In all probability events will then move rapidly, for the proceedings would bear an entirely different aspect. Sydney would then be completely " tied tip," so to speak. FIGHT AGAINST AUTHORITY. Readers of tho ''Star" will no doubt be familiar through th;* cable service with the general sequence of affairs connected with the strike and also with.the nominal altitude of tho Government and the unions. [The correspondent has reckoned without the censor. —Ed.]. They also understand probably that the cause oi the dispute is ostensibly tho decision of the, Railway Commissioners to introduce time recording cards into the J? and wick and Eveleigh workshops. It would bo -wise, however, for them to take nothing in connection with the strike, either way, nt its surfaco value. The strike does not actually arise out of the .squabble at the workshops nor is tho issue at fctako a mere question of whether tho men shall bo spared tlm indignity of having their working time recorded or bo obliged to conform with the ideas on the subject entertained by the Commissioners. The tight is really being Waged for the purpose of determining whether the organism of government shall function at tho Trades Hall and ■whether Labour, through an organised unionism, can exercise u greater authority over the State than it did when in possession of a majority in .Parliament. Tho industrialists are putting to the test the theory on which ibo !;abour movement now stands that tho ndustrial arm is stronger than the political arm, and that through industrial organisation the workers can impose their will upon tho .social body far morn readily than when operating through Parliament. To understand this it is necessary to realise that the Australian Laimur Party has entirely changed its character. Its aims are. purely syndicalist. The purgings and defeats of the last Few months have left the l/alxmr machine in charge of men persuaded that the old craft unionism was a failure and that the Parliamentary ascendency of Labour is worse than useless. Their aim is the One Isig Union — r tlloir ideal a central Labour executive operating tho forces of industry by means of strikes and slow-working to produce conditions advantageous to the rank and file. "Organise on a scientific basis." they say. " Then wo can do anvthing." To a very large extent they have succeeded in their organisation, with the -result that; Labour members of Parliament are now mere hod-carriers, and most of the unions have been captured by tho propagandists of the new doctrine, confessedly revolutionary in method and objective. When' the party found itself boat en at both the Stato and Federal elections, the industrialists, rightly or wrongly, suspected Ithat their political opponents being in office would commence to Labour edifice. The alleged danger was made a rallying cry in tho ears of unionists generally by the inner council. The great mass of unionists were easily made suspicious of pending danger. It must bo added that Labour generally has been terrified by tho fear of conscription. Hence ever since April ilie idea has been sedulously maintained that Labour' was in a great danger. And so it happened that when the Stato workshops employees were found to be hostile towards the change, in administrative methods, tho way was open, first, to induco them to strike, and next I to summon all other unions to show the solidarity of Labour by standing together against th 0 common enemy who sought to encompass their ruin.'' I'or a. long time tho doctrine of the . big strike has been preached among unionists by men who pointed their case by expanding on tho staggering blowLabour could inflict upon " Capital " hy capturing the transport services and attendant key industries. \Ve||, Labour is trying to discover tho exact effect of this blow now. It is aiming right at the vitals of the State—making Avar on the State. If it succeeds, tho neiv doctrino will, in tho eyes of tho general body of AA'orkors, receive tremendous justification. Jf it fails--Aveli, There , will at least ho this to reflect upon, that authority over the State has nob yet passed into tho hands of an unknown, irresponsible committee. Tho future of Parliamentary Government, in Australia is very prohlema'tical, but ono may bo excused for shuddering at the thought of gOA'orninent through a junta being substituted, even though Parliaments have, not only in the eyes of Labour, been something worse than failures bifcberto Possibly wo do not understand what self-government means. "What is certain is that organised labour looks upon Parliament with contempt, and in this Strike is challenging it'to a trial of strength. \ A SKELETON SERVICE. iAll the solemn "statements" issued by th© Strike Commit/tee and by the. Government relative to tho actual circumstances arising at tho workshops aro lib bottom just so much bluff. Tho position now is 'that tho Railway Commissioners, .Av'ith the assistance of outside jUbour, men who havo refused to strike nnd tho official ctaffs, are üble to keep the akeletbn of a service going, and promise things in a day or two. Wo th&il Bee.'"-The Government, also j^ro-

mises that workmen who return to the service up till Friday will rotain all the advantages of their former positions, and 'that every man who remains on striko AA-ill forfeit his plaeo in tho service and irrevocably surrender all his accrued pension and seniority rights. This is particularly important, of course, to men in the locomotive branch of the service, the great majority of whom havo long service behind them. Nearly tho whole of these men -went on striko, much to the .surprise of the Commissioners, for in all previous strikes tho locomotivo men havo stood firmly by tho State. This is a very ominous sign. Yet. it is probably truo that the general body of these men, as indeed of the Avhole body of men on strike, believe the strike to he ah thou t justification. They are simply loyal to their organisation, responding blindly to the call of the leaders, in tho hope of industrialism emerging triumphant. GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE. The Government is apparently determined to see the matter through, but ii looks somewhat stronger than it lcally is. The Acting-Premier, Mr Fuller, is a rather weak vessel, and tho Ministry, being of the coalition order, has all -the defects of such a combination. Mr Fuller stood 'up bravely enough ai. first, but it is well-known that as soon as trouble became acut© ins knees became exceedingly shaky, and it was with great difficulty he could he prevented from lying down. T hc thief Railway Commissioner was, however, adamant in insisting upon the impossibility of the railways being managed by the .Department if the executive ofli'v.'s were obliged to take their instructions from the unions. Therefore, Mi- Fuller had no choice but to play the part of the strong man he is certainly a. long way from being. TROUBLE SPREADING. The miners are out. There is talk of the waterfront being thrown idle. Undoubtedly many factories will close on Friday." The skrughtormon and butchers are (hreteniug to take a holiday. By next Aveek if the trouble runs its anticipated course, there will he '-'OO,OI/0 idle workers in Sydnoy. What thai, will mean even people at a distance can easily guess. How long it. might last there is no means of telling. To even speculate on that point would be idle. But that tho city would soon be in a state of tho Avildost uproar is certain, for the great majority of the idle people ivould quickly lie upon the verge of starvation. It is possible that the. Federal GoA-ornmcivO mnv intervene, for there is the likelihood of the strike extending to Victoria, ami nlreadv '2OOO raihvn.ymen are, (tit in Queensland. If tho Federal Government does come into tho fray, and bv us intervention >ecuros a return (if the strikers to work, then, no matter Avhat the terms may be, the Lahour unions will havo won as much as thev need consider it necessary to Avin for their immediate purposes. HOW THE STRIKE BEGAN. EMPTYING T7iIT\VOUKSIIOPS. "When the strike began, the men at a number oi the Government workshops at, Raudwiek. Eveleigh, and a tow other dci>ots--' , doAvned tools.'' In all, about -lOOl) men walked out of tho shops. This was the men's answer to the introduction of what is known as the card system at the Rand wick fiKinwav workshops. An ultimatum had been delivered to the Railway Commissioners by tho unions stating that the men would cease work on Thursday morning uuless the cards were Avithdrawn. : lo this the Commissioners replied that thoy could not allow the control of tho important departments• administered by them to be taken out of their hands. After starting at the usual hour, 7.M), says the •' Sydney Morning Herald." nearly all tho men at the liandwick Workshops ceased ivork as threatened at nine o'clock. The strike began quietly and without ostentation, the blowing of a Avhistle in the main shed giving a signal for the men...to stop Avork. The .strikers Avalked out apparently in a cheerlul spirit, displaying no bitterness and leaving everything in good order. The men avlio remained loyal to the Government, and refused to cnnio out when ordered by their unions were not inierfored with The premises were not picketed subsequently, and no outside labour was introduced during the day. While WOO men left work at the commencement, about seventy remained behind. These included about a dozen moulders avlio avcic not called out bv (heir executive. The others avito all members of the unions on strike, but they refused to cease work on the present dispute. The sections of labour which Avent on strike include smiths, hoilermakers. ear-builders, coach-pa in te'rs, carpenters. electrical tradesmen, and members of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, tho Federated Ironworkers' Association, and tho Railway and TramAvay Service Association, the latter mostly being labourers. Some of the men aviio went out are said to have told officers of the Department that, had a secret ballot been taken on the question there avouUl have been no strike over .such a trivial subject as the matter of time cards. The'card system, as far as it had been introduced, is still being carried on among the remaining Avorkmen. Comparatively .little Avork is, of course, being done, but it is hoped that the greatly lessened wear and tear consequent on reduced speed and less frequent service of the trams the necessary demand for repairs ill bo kept up with. With the. doAvning of tools at, the Eveleigh Workshops at nine o'clock in the morning and the cessation of work on tho part of the bulk of the .'IOOO employees, strange; silence pervaded the vast establishment, the atmosphere of Avhich underwent a complete metamorphosis in the course of a few hours. The Avhirr of machinery gave way to a silence that told its oavu tale to those avlio had been tvatchinc the course of events. The time card had not been Avithdrawn, ami the strike had commenced. It Avas a quiet and unobtrusive beginning, the men streaming out of tho Avorkshops and going their various tvays in the same orderly fashion that they had proceeded to the, establishment a little earlier in the morning. In tho afternoon only a few men were to be seen here and there at the shops. RAILWAYS AFFECTED. COAL "BLACKENED" BY CLERKS. A most serious aspect of the striko ivas created by tho fuelmen engaged at tlie Sydney central depots ceasing Avork on August 3. These employees wero engaged in shovelling coal on to the stage's from which tho locomotives aro supplied. This created a grave danger of the trouble spreading to tho enginedrivers and firemen engaged on tho New South 'Wales railway?. Air AinsAvorth, secretary of the Locomotive Engine-drivers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association, interviewed, ; said:--''An impossible position has arisen. Clerics have been placed on the coal stages in place of the tuehnen Avho ceased work. In consequence of that, a number of the engine men refused to take the locomotives out. These men considered that the coal ivas ' black,' a« it had been handled by non-unionists. As I. said before, the position is becoming impossible, and avo will have to take our stand. The executive is considering the matter, and a mass meeting of the members of tho union has been convened for to-morroAV afternoon, when tho men Avill come to a decision. There are engines that have been coaled by union labour, and avo aro still running enginosi which have been coaled in that fashion. So far the union has not arrived at any decision on the question. A number of the individual .'members have declared certain coal ' black,' and refused to

work, and there is a likelihood of iho other members also ceasing work. lb is understood that a number of trains will bo running to-morrow, but after then I. doubt whether there will bo .sufficient coal on. the engines to permit of their -being run." Tlio Locomotive Engine-drivers, Firomen and Cleaners' Association decided on August 5 ,to declavo a strike immediately. Tho decision, however, was stated to be- that of the Sydney district only, with a meniebrship of 750. There was a largo attendance of members at the meeting. They came and went during the proceedings, which at tiijies were rather of a. boisterous character, the- younger element losing control of itself. ' Many of the men were loth to ceaso work, and were determined to carry on as long as they wore a.ble. As many of the level-headed members left the hall fhoy did not try to hide their utter disgust in regard to the whole strike question, and spoko in very strong terms of the " red-rag" behaviour of a section at the meeting. An official of the union said he did not see why they should be drawn into the trouble. There were n lnrge mitnber of the members of the Amalgamated Engineers' Society and the. Electrical. Trades Union still at work. The power-house employees had refused to join in the strike, and ho was of the opinion that locomotive en-gine-drivers and firemen should tako a similar stand. One of the men said they declined 'o work "black" coal, and that the decision had been forced on them. Questioned ns to whether they were bound by a ballot of the whole of the members of the union, he said they proposed to iio on thiiir own.