THE MEN MEET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1352, 1 February 1912, Page 5

THE MEN MEET.

TWO GATHERINGS. KN ROUTE TO TRADES HALL. It was arranged that the men should go to the Trades Hall to hold (heir meeting, but there was a long delay, owing to the lateness of the last cars iu arriving, in setting out for the rendezvous. Finally the men were mustered shortly after three o'clock, and they set out to trudge via Jervnis Quay to the Traded Hall, in Lower Cuba Stttet. It appeared that the men were anxious to avoid anything in the nature of n procession, but there were a very large number nf them, and, of course, the crowd followed, so that there really was n straggling procession. There we're faint cheers at a couple of points along the route—at tho Government Printing Office and at (ho wharf workers' waiting-room—and ngiiin faint cheers from a few bystanders at the Trados Hall, but otherwise the progress was without incident. Shortly after 1! p.m. other tramway employees had commenced to assemble outside the Trades Kail, in Lower Cuba Street. These were men who had finished their shift at 1 p.m., and after luncheon had drifted down town in twos and threes to the place appointed for the mass meeting, which was finally to discuss the position. _ At ■'•' 15 p.m. ii crowd numbering about 500 or COO people had gathered outside the Trades Rail. This included about 100 or more of the early shift men-con-ductors and motormen—who hung about in groups discussing the situation somewhat drowsily in the hot Fiinshine. Other component parts of the crowd consisted of labourers, office-boys, a few members of tho Socialist party. " nll a fair sprinkling of idle spectators, bent on seeing what was to be seenThe sole police constable made no r.ttempt to clear the footpath, and probably calculating thnt his lot would not be at all a happy one if he attempted to do so, chatted amiably with strikers and spectators.

A RESOLUTION CARRIED. Word was passed round to "get inside" at 2.20 p.m., and the hundred and odd tramway inoii detached themselves from the crowd and climbed tin , narrow wnoslun stairs that lead to the Trades Hall. Other unionists—mostly wnWsido workers _ by their appearance—were nlso allowed into the mectnnif. Some membors of the prois, anxious to hear what was about to transpire, eonght to oXL'eot an. ontronce, but

were asked to leave the building. , A few minutes later applause could bo heard from the hull above, and shortly -.qfter the pressmen standing out on the road were appruched by an official, who handed out typewritten copies of the following resolution:— ■ "That this conference assembled of delegates representing the freezing works and allied trades unions sincerely sympathise with the Wellington Tramway Union in its struggle for justice, and hope the men will stand iirm, until their demand is granted. In fighting for this principle, we nise that your light is our , - light,— H. A. Campbell, chairman; J. Ellis, secretary." . ...-.-, lieiico Ihe cheers! MEN DECIDE TO STOP OUT. Whenthe big contingent from LambIf 11 i '"If 10 " Hi-rived and tried to pack into the hall, the room was found to-be much too .small, <u\d an adjournment was inado to the King's Theatre. In this hall the crowd ol tramwaymen, with their partisan unionist friends, were comfortably accommodated, and tho meeting lasted til after the five o'clock people had set out to trudge home. An expectant crowd waited outside for "the verdict," and ther were not surprised when they hoard i't laconically given by the first- men out ot the meeting—"Take tho cars to the sheds, mid stop out." .-, ; . v - . , All the crowd could hear :of-what was passing .within was a few muffled cheers at the end. Most of tho well-known Labour leaders in Wellington were at the meeting, and some of them addressed the tramwaymen.

Nothing of what transpired behind th« closed doors was cosiiniiiiiicntotl to th» numerous pressmen congregated without, cicept the bare intimation that"'' the union had decided to striker aiid^'to remain on strike until Fuller was taken off (lie cars. Beyond that tiro--union officials refused to tell anything whatsoever.

ANOTHER BALLOT. '

TO STRIKE AT ONCE.

There were .100 meunt the. maps'meet, ing of tramway men licld in,tho King's Theatre yesterday afternoon. The gathering was addressed by Messrs. Hiekey and uebli, of the Federation of Labour, and by Mr. W. T. Young, president of the Wellington Trades Council. It is understood that during the proceedings a ballot was taken as to whether the men should strike at onco or give, the fourteen daysnolico required by the Act. The i;osnlt of (he ballot was a decision by on Over whelming majority to strike at once.