THE TRAM TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1349, 29 January 1912, Page 5

THE TRAM TROUBLE.

" WHEN DO WE START TO WALK?" A FALSE RUMOUR. NOTICE TO STRIKE NOT GIVEN. The. tramway troublo continues to bo at least one of the chief, if not the chief, topics in the city. Ne.-vrly every tram conductor gets asked a hundred times a day: "When do we start to walk?" And nearly every conductor replies: "Not for a day or two yet!"The position is much the same at (he beginning of this week as it wan at the end of last week. The ballot revealed that there was a'majority of the tramway employees in favour of ceasing work unless the Fuller case were dealt with in a. manner satisfactory to the vuiion. The City Council's decision in Ihe caso was to the union's dissatisfaction; members of the union have declared a determination to abide by (he bailor; and the public aro now awaiting events. Fourteen days' notice is to be. givpu of intention (if any) to cease wurk. As'far as can be ascertained such notice has not yet b?en given, i City Council oflictvs who'wore communicated with have n-it received a notification, and there arc other sound reasons for concluding that none has been sent.

Yesterday it was freely rumoured (lint the executive of the union had niet that morni ii','—Sunday morning—wnl decided to notify tho corporation authority that fourteen days hence the men would ceu'-e work. Two members of the executive state that that is not correct, and that they did not even hold a mooting. - Regarding the corporation authorities' lions that' if the men do strike, they will bo able to maintain a service of some kind, «t least to tho suburbs hy iitilising employees, who are outside the union, and who have cxporionci' in.driving ..cars it may be of interest to know some Vif■ Uio provisions of the Act bearing, on this phase of the affair.. It is enacted That every person employed as-a driver .shall bo tho hcldi'r. of. nil electric tram driver's certificate issued, by the Board of Examiners appointed under the Inspection of Machinery Act, IMS. Also, Section 1, Subjection S. of the Tramways Amendment Act of JSJIO, provides that On ami after the first day of January, 1912, every person Who acts as driver of any such carriage or other rolling.stock without being the holder of A certificate under this section, and tho promoters of any tramway on " which liny uncertificnted driver isemploycd, .<hall be Severally liable to a fine not exceeding ,£o for CvCry (Iffy, or part of a day, during which an tmcertilicated driver so acts. It is understood that.the council are of opinion that the; powers of tho Act would not bo pressed by tho Government if nilcertificated drivers were employed to cope with strike trouble. However, the only certainty at prosent seems to be that the public will not have to commence "walking" for at least a fortnight.