ANXIOUS TO RESUME.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1905, 13 November 1913, Page 9

ANXIOUS TO RESUME.

MEN ALREADY APPROACHING EMPLOYERS. (By Tclcsrnpli— Press Association.) Auckland, November 12. Employers in all parts of tho town to-day, when interviewed by a "Herald" representative stated' definitely that large numbors of their 111011 who had gone on strike on. Saturday and Monday were asking permission to como back to work. Tho impression was general that tho strike fever which "had spread so suddenly ovor the town was dying away as suddenly, and that within a wuok all the liicn except the extremists would return to their duties. Tho moral effect of the opening up of tlio port and tho recommoncemoiit of the carting businoss 'has boon very great. It is generally believed that so far as tho carters and drivors are concerned tbo strike is at an end. Almost overy employer reported to-day that ho had received applications for roinatatis-. Kent. Farmers and now. worker# from

the country woro driving many carts in the city, and many of them who are thoroughly competent men liavo been taken en permanently. Sonio of tho employers aro hesitating to t-ako on new men in place of some of the old and valuable servants who have gone en strike, but it is generally understood that if the men aro not back at work within tlio next two days their placi?s will bo fdled without compunction. It is estimated that fully a quarter of the carts and lorries put out of commission on Saturday were in • operation again to-day. One firm, for instance, had 14 carts out, six of them driven by old unionists who returned to work ye-s----terday morning. These employers, expect to have all their carts going again within a few days. Dim of the biggest carrying firms in the city, 150 of whoso men went on strike, had 20 carts running yesterday, mostly driven by farmers and others. Twelve of their men applied yesterday for reinstatement, and were instructed to start work to-morrow morning, and others are expected to return. This firm states that it can maiv almost all its carts with new men from tho country, who are offering thpir services. A general meeting of the Carters' and Drivers' Tmion is to bo held to-morrow morning to consider tho position. In view of tho fact that so many carts were at work to-day, it is expected that tho men will see th® uselessness of tho strike so far as they are concerned, and will declare it off It is estimated that fully one-third of the painters who "downed tools" oil Saturday and Monday are now back at work, it is believed that most of the men engaged ill the building trades are tired of tho strike, and would gladly return to work. One employer states that tho wholo of his factory hands have approached him with a. reqtfesfc to open his factory, and that some of his other employees, 80 in all, have indicated that a goneral move bick to work js imminent. The men are sifflply waiting for someone to mako tho first move, and this will be made by the employers as soon as there is a sufficient number of carters availablo to carry on tho building business. The manager of one- big firm of contractors which employs 150 men. stated that fully half of these would commence work as soon as he said the word, and ho was waiting on tho carters. Some of his men. were already feeling the pinoh. Nine boilermakers appeared at one factory and were taken on again, and other factory managers reported that some of their late employees had been asking when tho works were likely to start again. It is stated that there was a tendency on the part of many of tho general labourers to go hack to work, but the brewery employees and the timber workers had not yet approached any of their employers.