TRANSPORT STRIKE.

Wairarapa Age, 25 March 1924, Page 5

TRANSPORT STRIKE.

COMPETITION THE CAUSE. REMEDIES SUGGESTED. (Press Association — Copyright.) (Received 7.5 p.m.) London. Mar. 23. —Co-ordination of London’s transport facilities was suggested at the Court of Enquiry into the tramway strike as the only way out of the present difficulties, which were attributed to wasteful competition under the present system. Mr Bevin said he was of the opinion that an increase in wages of 8/ per week could be granted by adopting traffic control. Mr Pick, of the London General Omnibus Company, stated that owing to private omnibuses competing with the trams in the suburbs, the company had been compelled to lower the price of their buses on the same route. The result was that there were three services where one would be adequate. Some means of public control appeared to be the only remedy that would enable the tramway companies to pay the increases in wages. Mr Ashfield, replying to Mr Bevin, also expressed the opinion that the only remedy was the complete co-or-dination of the transport facilities of London under a traffic, authority charging only such fares as would enable the payment of good wages.—(Reuter.) AN ENORMOUS RATE. (Received 7.10 p.m.) London. Ma-rch 24.—At the tram enquiry Cr. Matthews, of the London County Council, gave evidence that some local tramway authorities would have to impose a rate of 1/6 in the £ if the men’s demands were conceded. — (A. and N.Z.) SITUATION UNCHANGED. J STRIKERS DETERMINED. (Received 11.45 p.m.) London, March 24.—The tram and ’bus situation is unchanged. A meeting of strikers at Hammersmith carried a resolution urging the closing of the London tubes and district railways. Other meetings expressed determination to carry on the strike to a successful issue. The Court of Enquiry sat all day. The chairman announced that it would not sit again unless they required further evidence.—(Reuter.)