CARS EXPECTED TO STOP.

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

CARS EXPECTED TO STOP.

AT 2.30 THIS AFTERNOON. TRAMWAY STRIKE CRISIS CQMG TO A HEAD. WHAT WILL THE COUNCIL DO ?

At 2.30 this afternoon tho city framoars ivill cease running. Such, at any rale, »vns tho best or tho worst news obtainable last night. Whether they will ru.'i (igniu Inter in tho day is known only to n few membors of tho Tramways Union. Yesterday the union held two very well attended, and, it is rumoured, very talkative meetings, but they took no newspaper men into their confidence as to what had happonod at them. At any rate, it appears to he a tad that this afternoon tho union men will stop running the cars, arid that a mass meeting of numbers will bo h4d in tho Trades Hall immediately afterwards. It is rumoured also that that mct'ting will formulate proposals which will l>o submitted to the City Council, and Hint it will depend on tho reception which tho council affords thorn whether Hie trams will run again later in the dny, Tlicto is another milder report to the effect that tho men havo no intention of laying the cars up at onco, but that they propose to adjourn for an hour or two merely to hold thoir meeting. It is also reported that tho'men aro not going to sock spectacular effects in their business; they ar. , ; not going to leavo tho cars lying iibout to impedo traffic, but they pfopoto to ask (ho rnanngw whoro he wants them stowed, and they will run •them into the sheds as in'sh-iickd. THE MORNING MEETING, The meeting of the tramwaymeu in the morning wits attended by Messrs. W. 'J'. Young, president of Hip Trades and Labum, Council nnd <-ccmtar}' of tho Seamen's Union; M. ,1. Jtainlon, t.ocrptary of tho General J/ibourors' and Slaughtermen's Unions; K. J, Carey, secretary of the Cooks' and Waiters' Union; W. C. N'ool, bccrctiiry of the Bootmakers' Union; O. Blackio, secretary of the Drivers' Union; and other prominent labour men and unionist?. It is unclcr.-iood that the various secretaries, on behalf of their unions, promised to support the tramwaymen in the event of a striks, and that the tramwaymen themselves reaffirmed tlioir already announced decision to strike unless li{sppctor fuller is transferred. Somo of the labour men who had ittended 1 ho meriting wero interviewed later in the day, but they declined to disclose anything in regard to the proceeding?. A promise to support tho trannvaymen in a striko would presumably bring them within tho scopo of tho stTiko penalty clauses of tho Arbitration Act. THE LABOUR LEADERS, The meeting in tho evening lasted front 6.30 p.m. until 11 o'clock. It was largely attended, and, as at tho morning meeting, a number of union leaders were present. Among them were Mr. F. Heyling, secretary of the Trades Council, and Mr. G. (i. Farlar.d, secretary of. the local Wharf Labourers' Union. Tho president of the Tramways Union (Mr. ]). Dalton) was approached when tho meeting terminated,and si«kf:cl whether he had any statement Id T,inl;n. ' He replied, that; he hail absolutely nothing to say. The men, as they' dispersed, appeared lo bo in frolicsome nioud, and in no way impressed by the serious nature of the position which has arisen.

MANAGER SAYS NOTHING,

THE UNIFYING INFLUENCE, The fact that Iho tramwaymen aro being backed by tho Federation of labour, as well as by accredited agents of (ho Trades and Labour Council, appears at first sight somewhat strange. It is notorious that the rival Labour organisations uro in many respects bitterly opposed to ono another. Seemingly, a strike, or tho prospect of ono, operates as a unifying influence, capable, of temporarily dissipating their . differences. Due" Labour nmn who was spoken to yes-' t'erdny declared that no question Of political difference would l>6 allowed to interveno where, it was a case of support* ing a body of workers on strike Other unionists who were approached unreservedly adopted tho same attitude. Thus it is Quito- possible that the uniquespectacle will shortly bo witnessed of tho Socialist Federation of Labour working hauil in hand with members of a Labour organisation which is committed to strictly constitutional methods of procedure, ami which lias not yet abandoned its original policy of supporting tho Arbitration Act.

LIGHT WILL NOT FAIL. In an interview recently published in a contemporary, the statement was credited to a Tramways Union official thnt the lighting department employees of 'the City Ccuneii, among others, were prepared to strike- in sympathy'with the tramwaymeii. This, it was alleged, would involve the city's being plunged in darkness during the hours when artificial illumination is necessary. Citizens need hardly apprehend any such unpleasant accompaniment of a tramway, strike. From inquiries made yesterday it appears that, a small staff of engineers could themselves operate the lighting plant, nnd the few workers who might bo required in addition could easily 1» obtained. CASE DEFINITELY SETTLED. STATEMENT BY ACTIKG-MAYOR. Tho Acting-Mayor (Councillor J. Smith) was asked last evening whether any matter concerning Inspector Fuller, which was before the Tramways Committee of the City Council, prior to its meeting on riiursday last, would be proceeded with m facn of the decision of the council to rescind the resolution thnt Inspector 1 tiller should be transferred to other duties. Councillor Smith replied that, in his opinion, the decision of the council was a definite settlement of Inspector Fullers ease. This would apply ♦o any matters alTccting Inspector Miller, which we.w before the Tramways l.mmmtteo up to the time when the council arrived nt its decision. If any question concerning Inspector Fuller were now to bo oonsidoml by the Tramways Committee it would have to be an entirely now matter. STRIKE PENALTIES. Section 0 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Aot. Amendment is as iollows:— If any person employed in any ot the industries to which this section applies strikes without having given to his employer, within one month before sn striking, not less than fourteen days' notice; in writing, signed by him, of his intention to strike, or strikes before the expiry of any notice so given by him, the striker shall bo liable on summary conviction before a magistrate to a fine not exceeding twenty-five pounds. "And it i> further provided that this section, which is limited in its application, shall apply to 'the working of rfny ferry, tram.wiy, or railway used for the public carnage ot goods or passengers."" UNION HOPES. It is understood that Iho union arc hopeful that the council may, under stress of circumstances, suggest to In spector Fuller that he is disturbing the I placid quiet of things, and that he ou-ht to resign. As a matter of fact it would seem that the framwavmen have some grounds for beliovin* ' that some members of the council would be verv elad to be rid of Mr. Fuller irui that they will probably say «o. On the other hand, there is not" the slichtest ground for believing that Inspector Fuller \vill acn,uicsco in any such arrangement I Last night, he stated to a Dosnsiox I reporter thnt _.ie had no present intention ol resigning. Contingencies ho refused to di«cuss, but he assured the pre« nun that no suKgerticn that he was Yn the war tad been coaunuaicated to him.

WAITING FOR DEVELOPMENTS. , "I can say nothing," said Mr. Stuart Kichardsou when consulted yesterday afternoon as to what would bo done in caso of the men striking to-day. "All wo can do is to wait for Iho council to declare its policy, and I hen do our best to 'execute i(. At present wo know nothing, anyhow. Wo nrc a ware (hat a meeting was hold this (Tuesday) morning, but what wo have htard has drifted to us through three or fuur people, and, thero- , foro, is not reliable." WHAT WILL PROBABLY BE DONE. A RESTRICTED SERVICE. Assuming that the tramway men iitriko to-day, the attitude to bo adopted by the City Council is all-important as far as tho public is concerned—particularly that section of the public living at a distance from their work and dependent to a great extent on the cars. If tho men leave tlio cars to-day nb any stilted hour, tho duty of the Tramways Department will bo to run thorn back to the nearest sheds, either at Xowtown or Thorndon Quay, as quickly as possible. Thereafter thoro is not much likelihood of any service at all being maintained for a day or two. The Blair (if tho Tramways Department will, however, l)o far from idle. As soon as the men slrikn—nnil if they strike without uotice they will broak tho law—men who already know a littlo about the business will bo trained in tho duties of motormen and conductor).-, and as thorp are a good many of these (not nil prosenl employees of tho City Corporation), it is calculated that in a few' dnys the Troim, ways Department will be in a position (6 iiinugiiVulo ii restricted service. There is, it is understood, only one way to regard thoso employees who go out on slriko without notice according to tho Act, and that is that they by the ono not have broken the law, ami hnvo voluntarily resigned from the service. Past service will count for nothing, and each striker on applying for reinstatement will bo regarded as a man applying for work for tho first time.