STRIKE BEGINS.

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

STRIKE BEGINS.

CAR SERVICE SUSPENDED. THREAT TO BLOCK POWER HOUSE COAL SUPPLY. RESUMPTION UNLIKELY THIS WEEK.

As anticipated, the Wellington tramwaymott decided, nt a mass meeting of their union yesterday uftornoon, to go on strike. They ha<l, in fact, struck work earlier in the afternoon in order that they oould attend the meeting, and it was quite well understood that they would not resume work again after it was over. They did not resume, and their avowed intention is to remain oft' the oars until Inspector Fuller is removed from his position. About 1 o'clock yesterday the secretary of the Tramways Union (Sir. A. Sutherland) called oh tho Tramways Manager (Mr. S. Richardson) at the tramways head offico in Harris Street, and delivered to him ii letter, which was in effect a formul notice from tho executive of the union that tho men would leave their cars between 2 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. Tho letter also asked for an instruction as to where tho Department would like to have tho cars stored. MR. RICHARDSON'S PROTEST. Mr. Richardson hud previously received advice by telephone message from Mr. Sutherland of tho union's intentions ,o quit the cars for this period, and he nt once formally objected to the men's proposed action. He refused to recognise the right of the men to leave their workon any pretext whatever. Such an act would bo without his authority, and would bo in the natnro of a strike. He advised the union secretary that if the men decided to remain oft" duty, he wished that the cars should bo returned to their respective sheds.

AN UNSPECTACULAR AFFAIR. The actual commencement of tho etrike was a most orderly, unspectacular affair. It was thoroughly well understood round the town that the carmen were going to leave their work at 2 p.m. or (hereabouts, and a crowd of some hundreds of curious people congregated at tho stop in front of Lambton Station in expectation of some excitement. Some of the crowd were other unionists, who openly professed sympathy for the men in their trouble, and among these were ,most of the principal union secretaries in (he city. The bulk of (ho crowd, however, were ordinary people with aio particular interest in the event. They had nothing to do just then, and they looked on idly at the cars being run into tho station ono by one. Photographers and movingpicture men held every point of vantage from which a camera could be trained, and press photographers hunted round for snapshots. Tho uniformed tramwaymen stood around in .littlo. groups disbusiness, some gravely, some flippantly, but all" of them'appeared to be more than a trifle angry. The young men were carelessly confident, but' some of the older married men looked ill at ease.

THE FIRST CAR COMES IN. It was the fact that the cars came in slowly, one by one, that robbed the strike of possible dramatic, effects. Every car as it cam« in was taken to its abiding placo on the tracks, and the. men walked off it, ami left it there.

It was about, two o'clock when the first of the afternoon-shift men drovo in on their car, and .left it. Their comrades off duty raised a faint cheer for the first men to come out, one of the two incidents of any moment in the strike. It was an hour later when the last of the cars was laid up, and then there were .13 cars lined up on the tracks round the Lambton Station dispatch office and in Aitken Street.

INSPECTOR FULLER APPEARS. There was some hostile demonstration when Inspector Fuller rode in on one of the latest cars to come in. Someone said, "There he goes," and then those who knew him said, "It's Fuller." This was tho signal for some .ironical cheers and more booli-ing, but Inspector Fuller did not appear to bo the least bit interested, and not at all perturbed. When the car pulled up near the oflieo he alighted from it, and walked with a. leisurely stride to the door. Crowds of traniwaymen and others ran after him to offer unasked attentions, but Fuller was not to bo put to flight. Ho was jostled a little, hooted a good deal, and photographed several times before he got indoors. The experience, was a disagreeable one, no doubt, but he was not any the worse for it.