AUCKLAND TRAMWAY DISPUTF.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1317, 21 December 1911, Page 6

AUCKLAND TRAMWAY DISPUTF.

WILL THERE BE A STRIKE? (By Telceraoh.—Press Association,! Auckland, December 20. According to-present indications, the prospects of a settlement of the dispute between the Auckland Tramways Company and its employees are by no means bright. At a conference to-day,' the company offered additional concessions involving the swelling of the wages, sheet by over .£I2OO, making the total concession conceded by the company over ,£IO,OOO but "this offer, like. !he former one, was not accepted. The company's amended proposals, however, will be placed before a meeting of llio union la be held to-morrow, and if rejected it is probable the men will .-trike at miduieht, on Friday. Interviewed to-day, the. Mayor had nothing to say legarding the. merits of tlie tramway dispute at present. He said: "It is entirely' a matter for tli3 company arid their employees. 1 do regret. however, that 'her* should be any possibility during the Christmas season of the whole city traffic, being hung up,our public works inconvenienced, aiid (he comfort -of a hundred thousand people jeopardised because of Uiis disputo; Before such a. lamentable state of thiiiTs should be .precipitated, the men should do well to think, and think hard. Once tho sword of brute force is goini to be drawn, I am afraid from ilie indications all round that it will not. soon be sheathed. The men in such a conflict will lie hit terribly hard. The emnloyers will also be seriously prejudiced. I invite the parties to consider well wliere they are going !o land themselves bsfore tlier set out upon a campaign of general strike."