SYDNEY'S TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3162, 14 August 1917, Page 6

SYDNEY'S TRANSPORT VOLUNTEERS

& LIMITED SERVICES MAINTAINED AND : -; : : :. IMPROVING !;/ WILLING RESPONSE W- ■te last neiws received with, regard to W, the railway strike over the introduction r l -. , :of the "card system" indicated that the i- ;■•:.- Government, loyally suunorted by the t;...;■•■ general publio, was coping with a fair : : measure of success with the problem of ■the disorganiastion of the transport ser:.■.■;"..yicea. i State Premier's Appeal. i•:-...•■ A stirring appeal to the gublic for sup- ;■■■■; port in the crisis was issued by the Acti-|;: ing-Premier (Mr. 'Fuller), in the course i;. :of which he said: — ' !. ■ "^ Te ar « not dealing with a revolt of ;';? ../workmen against oppressive conditions. !?.<',"We are dealing with trades unlonu;ii i;'. :. ; for_the time being Tinker tLc control of i irresponsible and dangerous men, wlio, 1 for political reasons, have determined to :,./. plnnge and keep the community in a j, .state, of industrial ferment./ This un- ;.;. warranted strike commenced on the same ::■/.."day , as the most critical battle ot the war v:;;- in Europe. Nine-Tenttis of the men do. ■;■.-';■'-not know now what the strike is really <■'■';. 'about, but are being bUnuir led info this [■■'!'.'■ appalling conflict by a few dangerous leaders._ The. card system is not an;■'i~"tagonistic to union principles. Engineers 'v end other workmen," in private establish- >■■.■ ments, have worked under similar sysj- .'.■ ternswithont protest for years past. The ;.; keeping of time records in workshops ::.■ dtoes not aim at unfair speeding up, and ■ ; no honest workman has anything to fear C,'from it. The Government was. and ■ "■'.■'■ still is, prepared to guarantee that after ;;-the , system has-been m operation for '.;"tntee.months a public inquiry shall be !■/£■, held, and if any injustice has been donn j , .;) by its operation the Tvhole_ matter will '..■.'be reconsidered. Every objection to fho •■'','. system is based on misunderstanding >. v ; ..and , gjos3 exaggeration. The Qovern- (\ ■■ Went is convinced that a section of the ;■: ;' jnen were determined to have a strike .■ Art. any. circumstances. There can be no ..: on the part of the Governi.fiment (when an isspe of this kind is rais■;;.ed.' It may be that this conflict will I:-,' have serious results, and will for a long :: "; time ' affect the , general prosperity of i tne State. I now solemnly appeal to ; : - i every workman in New South Wales to ;•. ' consider rarionsly the direction in which

, he is drifting, and to stand by the Gov- !■' '' eminent in its determination to resist ,;-:. to the utmost limit the challenge which

: '""■/'■■ihas -been m> wickedly made by'thouglit'f-:-. less leaders.. There is yet time to avoid •>::» bitter struggle." : ..'.■..; "I".am more than -pleased," said Mr. : -: : Puller next day, "with the immediate ■•.•.-■■ response made to the Government's ap- ""',■ . peal. The Government and the Railway ';; ..Commissioners have been deluged with r-. ofFers of assistance in maintaining the '•■• transport eervices. Already the train f,.' Reryice shows a distinct improvement. ;..: . The. number of trams running is increas- ■ "'■ isz hourly, and ■ the Government have ' Bo -doubt at all that before very long i ! ' at v will be able to generally re-establish {- r e- reasonable service'. I feel. confident :■';. that,-with the overwhelming offcre of asf. ■ 'Bistance, we shall bo able, at a,very ■ •' .early date, to train a sufficient num. :... ber or men to carry out almost a com- ':• plete service. Prom country and snbur- : .. ban districts and from the city generally f>. i" ere has been a far greater response "■:■■. than I expected. The.public, I believe, : , have risen to the, occasion, and will loy- ■; ally stand by tho Government. It is . , of course, to be regretted that.so much ■ inconvenience has already been caused ft put- the cheerfulness with which the ■■-.-. people are submitting to this is a sign of ■ tlieir determination to staud by us in ;,. preventing the hold-up of transport fa- ;■ cilities by' irresponsibles.

Illegal Action by Strike Executive. "I know that the tramway and traffic nien at heart are not in this strike. I hoy are. in it only because they do not hke being called scabs and blacklegs But every man who "stands by the Government will be protected. The scabs in this case are the men who deliberately in violation of the rulo of their union' , precipitated a strike -without taking a ballot. Both the Tramway Union and the Railway Traffic Union have in their rales a clause, adopted after deliberation, that no strike shall take place without t. ballot. In both these cases the men have been called out simply on the order . of an executive.consisting of about 12 men I feel certain that, if the ballot had been taken, these men would not be in, the strike to-day. I am more than ■ever convinced that the objections to the card system are merely a pretext, and that this disaster has been engineered by men who are up against the orderly Government of the State."

(■■:} ON THE RAILWAYS ;'.; CHIEF COMMISSIONER SATISFIED. " +i° IF i rS - 1 of ass ' stanc e' are pouring in to the Railway Department. The names .and addresses are being tabulated, and , the services of these volunteers will be i ■ utilised if the men on strike do not re- ! Vturn to work by Friday next. Members ,;■ of the clerical staff are acting as fireZ\t i , more clerks nTe rc iuir«d ;.v tor this work they can be obtained. /•; .In an official statement the Railway I 1.;-.. Commissioners announced:—"There is \: : cjoiso for satisfaction so far as the adI ministration is concerned in the- many : expra-wions of sympathy extended to them' ,;- by sections of the public in the attitude ; they have taken up in tliis matter, and , cause for neater gratification still in tie r many offers made to provide assistance , ■■■ m carrying ou the railway and tramway :■■:'_. services should such assistance be neces- ; sary. Skilled mechanics in the electrical ; trades have offered their services, as liave ■•■, also other classes of mechanics. The ; University students in the engineering '■ clasees have volunteered their services in ;.. a body to assist in any way in which , they could be most suitably employed. ,■•• Other oilers of value have, also been made." •;,, ■ ' SATISFIED. I "We had enough labour available yesterday to. run 100 trains," said the Chief |,: Commissioner (Mr. Fraser). "That, ai ; : coarse, is fairly close to tho servico'pro- ; ' vided in normal times. The tramway men are drifting back, and 1 am of opinion that they will continue to do so. Wβ have had many offers from men who : . have been out of the service for some ;'.; time. We hope to keep on extending ;'••'■'both the train and tram services." • ) .'■'_■■ Tfyp Railway Commissioners stated that i- they had received a message from the '■■' : railway drivers at Harden, to the effect : that they had deckled to remain loyal to ; 'the Department. The cleaners who went nut on strike there have returned to "■ duty. The following resolution was car- : vied at a fully representative meetiDjj of ; .. 'lie signalling branch of the New South ■ Wales Railway and Tramway Officers' '. ' delation :-"'[V whole of Ihe official ■-' : •■tnff of the signalling branch, represented !>y this meeting of the New South Wales

Railway and Tramway Officers' Association, affirms its loyalty to the Railwaj Commissioners during the present crisis."

THE LAW IN EVIDENCE POLICEMEN ON THE CARS. Every tram which was run carried, as well as a driver and conductor, a policeman in the front ana at- tne rear. Xne Inspector-General of Police, jur. James Mitußell, sauted that special protection was being ■ afforded for the tramway traiflc, bridges, and approaches to railway stations and works. The metropolitan police, he added, had been considerably strengthened by the arrival of drafts from the country districts during the past lew days. As far as the conduct of the strikers was concerned, buyerintendent ivelly, who had charge of the police, reported that they behaved themselves in aji orderly manner, and except lor a couple of isolated .instances, tno day passed without any trouble. t A number ot the larrikin element attempted to block the tram traffic along George Street, near Goulburn Street, by placing a horse on tho liues. The horse wae standing in the street harnessed to a cart, when the "rowdies" approached, aud, cutting the harness, tried to place the horse across the lines, and thus block the tram traffic. At the precise moment, however, the police arrived, and the threatened trouble was averted, the mob quickly dispersing. On the Illawarra line a number of men congregated on one of the overhead bridges., waiting for tho train to pass. Whilst passing the engine-driver was pelted, and a beer bottlo thrown at him struck him on one leg injuring him slightly. There was, of couirse, some picketing, but it did not prove very effective. More men came in than went out during the day. The men are coming in graduallyone here and. one there—and many are making inquiries. The service was far and away better than the emergency service during the 1908 tram strike. All the clerks and inspectors in the Department have had soyae training on the cars, and as the service has grown considerably during the last nine yoars, there are considerably more hands available to man the trams.