RAILWAY STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1716, 5 April 1913, Page 5

RAILWAY STRIKE.

SYDNEY TROUBLE SPREADS.

SERIOUS OUTLOOK ON STATE LINES. TOWN SHORT OF SUPPLIES. |By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright (Rec. April 4, 9.55 p.m.) ■ Sydney, April 4. Tho shunters at tho' Darling, Harbour railway yards liavo' resolved to ce.ito ivorl;, and tho shunters at tho Sydney* Alexandria, aand Clydo yards will likewise go out, but in order to avoid inconveniencing tile public as far as possiblo tho shunters have decided to continuo to work tho passenger trains. Tho men state that fhey havo a twofold reason for thoir action: they want 10s. a day, instead of 9s„ and. they sympathise with tho porters' strike. Tlio president of tho council of tho Railway and Tramway Unions of Now South Wales Ims. convened a meeting of the council to consider tlio position, biu no date boa yet been fixed for tho meeting. \ There seems a possibility of tho washedout, stationary engine-drivers, crano drivers, firemen, fuelinen, anud pumpers joining. tho strike unless tho hearing' of grievances by tho Wages Board is expedited. Tho secretary of tlio .Federated Enginedrivers' and Fircmen.\s Union has communicated with the Department requesting that in view ot tho delay in tho hearing of. tho grievances tho men bo paid immediately at tho rates provided in tho engine-drivers' award of March 26. MINISTERS' OFFER REJECTED. HUGE ACCUMULATION OF GOODS. Sydney, April 4. Efforts wero continued up to a late hour last night to settle tho railway porters' strike, but they proved futile. The position is a delicato ono. Important developments aro probabSo to-day. A mass meeting of tho men unanimously rejected the proposals of Mr. Carmichael, Minister for labour, which had tho Railway Commissioners' sanction, that the men return to work pending reference of tho dispute to a special Wages Board. The Minister for Railways has asked tho Railway Commissioner to meet tho I wishes of tho men in every possiblo way. The Commissioner objects to tho award of tho proposed Wages Board being made retrospective. This is one of tho stumbling blocks in tho way of ft settlement. Tho strike has extended to tho Sydney goods 6heds, where fifty weighbridge clerks, lasser3, and shooters vacated their posts! It, is' reported that tho shunters aro on the vergo of coming out, and that it has also been decided. to call out tho employees of the Alexandria yards. This would completely cripplo Sydney's goods traffic. Tho Tailway clerks havo decided to ccaso work if they aro asked ( to do strikers' duties. Tho Newcastle men. havo been asked to join. The object in gaining their support is to prevent goods from being conveyed by sea to Newcastle, and thenco forwarded north and west by Tail. It is understood that there is no pre* sent'intention on tho part of tho strikers to seek an extension of tho trouble to passenger traffio, but tlio men make no secret of the fact that if they are in difficulties the guards may/ceaso work. The Trolly 'and Dray Men's Union is asked to support the strike by refus- ' ing to cart goods to and from the railway yards. Tho dispatch of goods to country stations is at a standstill. Immense quantities are standing in trucks and piled in tho sheds. The goods aro not guarded from the weather.' The joining of the sheeters in tho strike makes it impossible to carry out covering work. Tho dislocation of tho city's business is widespread and serious. It is also feared that unless there is an early settlement of tho trouble many country towns will bo placed in an unenviable position through want of supplies. Tho city fruit and vegetable supply is threatened and the milling trade jeopardised. Thero is a possibility of many of the , mill employees being thrown idle through • want of wheat supplies from tho country.

broken hill dispute. PICKETS CUT OFF FOOD SUPPLIES. (Roc. April 5, 1.10 a.m.) Sydney, April 4. The. Broken Hill striko 19 being continued. • The houses of tho officials of tlio Silverton Tramway Company aro picketed, and the pickets havo . intercepted tradesmen, refusing to allow them to deliver tlio necessaries of life. Tliey allowed milk to bo delivered at ono bouse wliero there was a sick child. The service of tho Silverton trams is still hung up, and communication' with places outside Broken Hill is confined to motors and bullock teams. So far none of tho mines are affected. Tho tramway, company states that. it will not object to its employees joining tho union if certain officers are exempted. Sydnoy, April 4. , Tho latest development in connectioi with tho Barrier striko is that all the men who had remained in the employment of the Silvertown Tramway Company havo been, called out. Tho company's premises are picketed. Beforo work stopped, several truckloads of chaff reached town, temporarily relieving tho position so far as feeding a large number of mine horses is concerned, but a famine in this and a number cf other commodities cannot long be staved off. Tho clerks havo fallen into line witt tho strikers and formed a union. UNREST AT NEWCASTLE. SETTLEMENT ASKED FOE WITHIM SEVEN DAYS. (Rcc. April i, 9.55 p.m.) Sydney, 'April I. Tho Northern Colliery proprietors to day considered a letter from tho New. castle Colliery Employees' Federation re questing a conference ?nd the settlemenl of tho Lamb ton B and Stockton borehole Iroublo within sevon days. The proprie tors decided to reply that they aro unabli to grant a oonferenco while thoso col aro idle, but aro prepared to sub mit tlio dispute to a local board of arbi trators for each colliery, work to bo re sumed as soon as tho proceedings of tin board begin. Tho proprietors also favour the' eiten sion of a system settling disputos by loca arbitration, each colliery to havo a sim ilar board. Tho proprietors request th< miners to take a ballot regarding tlio lat ter proposal. ' Tho position in tho South Coast min ing strike is unchanged. The confcrena sungestcd by Mr. Carmiehael will bo lieli next week. Tho New Zealand Fcdoratioi of La bom- has cabled -£-00 to assist th< South Coast strikers. It is officially statei that tho assistance from other quarter i 3 very encouraging. Sydney, April l. As a result, of (be southern coal slrikHughes's Woollen Mills at Botany liav I'lofcd. The Northern Miners' .Delegnte Boav lias strunV n It-V.v- l"H' celiHtia ll suypocfc of Soulliewwrtfi