THE TRAM STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1465, 13 June 1912, Page 7

THE TRAM STRIKE.

QUESTION OF PROSECUTION, SOIIB UNANSWERED LETTERS. For somo feiv days after February 1 last, when tlio Wellington tram strike occurred, several prominent labour leaders, union secretaries for the most part, talked a great deal (o keep the strike yoiiig, and one at least uf them said some heroics about the pains and penalties sure to come his lvaj'ifor the part he had taken in organised defiance of tho law. No prosecutions happened, except that, tho union wero summoned under the, most lenient penal clause of the Act, and not under the one providing for adequate lines for the holding- up of a public servjee. The fines worked out at about ss. per man. On April 23 Mr. W. I'ryor wrote the following letter to the Hon. G. Laurenson, Minister for Labour:— "WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS STRIKE. "X am instructed to write expressing the regret of my Advisory Board that action has not been taken by Government against thoso who incited, aided, and abetted the abovo strike. Legal advice obtained by my board is to tho ellect that action should bo taken, and could ba successfully prosecuted. It is understood that this matter was referred to the Crown Law Officers by your predecessor, and what is suggested now is that, as in our solicitor's opinion your officers could not. do other than agree that a clear case for action exists,. proceedings should be taken without delay as a means of indicating that flagrant breaches of the law will not bo tolerated by Government, as representing the general community." To this letter ho received no reply, and on Hay 28-lie wrote as follows:— WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS STRIKE. "At a meeting of my Advisory Board held to-day cousideral.de surprise'was expressed that no reply had been received to my letter to you of 23rd ultimo with regard to the above matter. The board desires me to again impress upon you the necessity, in the public interest, ot' action being taken to impose the penalties provided by law upon those who aided, abetted,; ana incited the above strike. Your attention is drawn to the fact that the persons whom it is proposed should bo prosecuted were most of them either leaders qf an organisation which is avowedly floating the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, ajid which has announced its intention of observing agreements only so long as it is deemed expedient to do so, or those connected with unions registered under tho Act, and who wero well aware they were breaking the law, and aware of the penalties provided for so doing. Considerable pressure is being brought, to bear upon the toard to mako public protest against the inaction of the Government in connection with this matter, but it is lotli to do so ■as it hopes that you will give instructions for tho necessary fiteps to be taken without any appeal being mads to the public in connection therewith. I have to point out, howover, that as the time within which action can bo taken is now comparatively short, it will be necessary for a public protest to be made, unless instructions arc issued shortly for tho law to be put into operation.' The last of the series, dispatched yesterday, explains itself: "WELLINGTON. TRAMWAYS STRIKE. "At a iaTgely-sittended meeting of my Advisory Board held this morning it was unanimously resolved that as no reply had been received to my letters of April 23 and May 28 with referenco to tho above, that copies of these., letters be •handed to the .press for publication.