THE TRAMWAYMEN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1350, 30 January 1912, Page 5

THE TRAMWAYMEN.

POSITION UNCHANGED, Silence, thick and, impenetrable, enveloped the doings of the executive of the Tramwaymen's Union yesterday, when tho whole of tho morning was 6pent in discussing tho situation with regard to tho dispute between tho Union and tho City Council over Inspector Fuller. The executive met in the union's office, tho old Newtown Hotel, at 10.30 a.m. At 12.30 the meeting dispersed, and the secretary (Mr. A. Sutherland) was invited by a representative of The Dominion" to divulge the executive's decisions. "There is nothing for tho press," ho said. Have you decided ono way or the other ? "I can't tell you anything—auk the Acting-Mayor," said the secretary, with of finality. Further inquiries made later in the day elicited the fact that neither the ActingMayor (Councillor J. Smith), the town clerk (Mr. J. It. Palmer), nor tlio Tramway head office had received any communication of any kind from the union. An inquiry at the Tramways head office as to whether any 6teps wero being taken with regard to making provision for an emergency service.in the event of a striko disclosed a similar condition of affairsnothing doing. Two special meetings of the union members are convened for to-day—one at 10.30 a.m., and tho other at 8.30 p.m.—for the consideration of "important matters." At a meeting of the Wellington Operative Bootmakers' Union, held Inst evening, and attended by about 74 members, the following resolution was Carried:— "That in the event of tho present trouble between the City Gouncil iilid (lie 'i'ramwayij Union ending in a elimiix, this union pledges its practical sympathy and support to tho tramwaymen and its members pledge, themselves not to ride upon any cars run by 'scab' labour." A WORD TO THE MEN. SOME ADVICE BY A WELL-WISHER. "Well-wisher" forwards what ho terms a word to the men" as follows:—"You are on the verge of making assei of yourselves and bringing unionism into'contempt. You are discrediting the Labour movement by demonstrating that a large union can lose its head in a small petty, personal quarrel. You are forgetting that you are not tho owners of the trams, nor will you be permitted to control the trams until you can control the owners and control yourselves. You will never control the owners Until your actions as a union are guided by common sense and fair play. , You must hot be guided by tho advice of any small band of paid agitators'who, like carrion birds, prey upon the remains of the battles which they have slatted. These men live on blood money, and it is you that they are bleeding. Don't be encouraged by. those councillors who voted for you; not thnt they don't know you are wrong, but because they want your support at tho ballot box. Don't be persuaded you are heroes by such a manifesto as that issued by tho Federation of Labour. Yoit men arc just now on tho very edge of the rim which divides common sense from foolishness. Contrast your strength 4 and sound judgment with tho vacillation and shocking management of the City Council. Don't strike. You can win without a strike. .You can win With quiet dignity and satisfaction. To you, tramwaymen all, tnke good advice. Be patient, • Wait. Lot this teacup breeze blow itself, out. You cannot hope to raise the plane of Labour unless you show patience and forethought."