IF THEY STRIKE?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1351, 31 January 1912, Page 5

IF THEY STRIKE?

WHAT WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN. EFFECT OX TRADE. Wellington has nover experienced a big tramway strike, though it at present stands on the brink of such ail undesirable happening, and that through a trifling dilferenco of opinion regarding the capabilities and manlier of one official which the Tramways Union lias been unfortunate enough to develop into a. dispute as to whether tho City Council may or may not fully control'its own employees I'crth, Sydney, iiij,<l a 'lj:uic Tiave all' had the oxymenee of a strike on tho tramways service.

What will happen if the' Tramways Union decides to call out its monh That is the question which is at present agitating tho minds of not a few citizens. To a certain extent the answer will depend on the action of tho council. If it decides to attempt to run a restricted service with non-union labour there is the a remote that .other unions will take njuind in tho game. There is a wcli-dciinecl feeling, however, 'that tho Tramways Union will not gain the sympathy of tho bull; of unionists for striking i'or such u canso as their hostility to all inspector. Business people would possibly feel the pinch ot a strike of : extended duration, for the suburban residents there is fortunately the. bicycle. It is Surprising how many working men rido the bicycle _to and from work. This means of locomotion is held in particular favour by wharf labourers au3 carpenters residing in tho suburbs, who find the payment of 6d. or Bd. per day in tram fares altogether too much for their resources. Thore is another class of worker who, perhaps, earn* more money who favours tho motor-cycle, the speediest of all road craft, and after the initial cost noti so expensive when used in moderation. The arrogant motorcar is beyofld tho reach of tho worker, though it is quite oil tho cards that cars for hire might como down in their prices to run loads of workmen to work between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., when ie\y other "fares" are available.

Tho absence Of tbe tramcars.niay menu, as it has meant in other cities afflicted with o tramways strike, the digging out from dusty corners of old buses, and drags, and the merry expressmen,, who now spend much time idling on the city stands —eompnlsorily, of course—would l>e found providing their vehicles with seats, and transforming them for the nonco into temporary passenger conches

The Bootmnkors' Union hns expressed itself in full accord with the Tramways Union in its decision to strike. They are very properly the first to declare their allegiance—there's nothing like leather for walking on. One already sees a harvest for Uio bootmakers in the threatened revival of the walking habit. But, after all-'-will thoro bo a strike at all?

ANOTHER VIEW. (To the Editor.) Sir,—The time, is approaching when outside correspondence will be untimely, but. in view of your "Well-WishcT" letter. I claim an answer back. While 1 believe in the noni do plume—for others —I protest in Let my reply bo a parody. "You are on tho versp of being men or mice. Von honour labour bv showing anxiety not to trust the. public uniHTCssarily; by staying your hand till all other means of sottlement are exhausted; and by using up every ktiowii means of deliberation l>?fore striking. You need not forget tlial you arc not.the owners of the trams, b> cause, you are M, just as much as 'WellWisher, , more so than tho council as a council, and your interest .is greater beeauso it is where your butter conies from. You will never control tho owners until you put youi cast* teforo them in such a way as to reveal the truth. You cAnliot be looking for guidance and ndvice from others when yon are neither giving information nor seeking adviep. You are not encouraged by your councillors voting for yon, because the discrepancy puts the vole out of the court of potentiality. The question of heroism does not come up till the fight is over. You are on the 'rim , of having put yout hand to Hit plough, and if yon don't turn up ono furrow you cannot hope to justify yonrFolvos. Don't vacillate and show the flecking ni.i\nn.?emcnt implied l\v this part of 'Well-Wisher's' letter. When you have nothing but a stone wall before you, von have no recourse but to strike. You 'will raise the plane of labour by conlinuing on Ihe lines of dignity, and pnlionce already laid down. You cannot wait for this teacup breeze lo blow ilself out, because waiting while the clouds roll by ignores the fact that there are always niore to roll. Finally, go on the grand ndvice never to enter into a fight until yon are forced, but, when forced, to so fijht that on coming out you have, n good account of yourself t<l give."—l am, rtc, HE.NKY BODLEY. January 30.