BACK AT WORE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3187, 11 September 1917, Page 6

BACK AT WORE

Sydney, Soptomber 5. The following official statement shows the number of strikers re-employed and .the number of new hands engaged up to and including Monday:—

i Strikers. New hands Branch, re-employed, employed. ' Locomotive 2273 1120 . Per. way railways 643 -25S . Traffic, railways... 719 162. Goods 45 103 Signalling 52 40 Stores 1' MEstate agents ... 3 i™ Advertising — * Tram traffic ... 9.57 267. • Electrical 559 763 Per. vay trams... 77 19 Totals ~. 5375 3002 The number of strikers re-employed on Monday was 235, Rnd the number of new hands employed 132.

Position at Eveleigh. The chief mechanical engineer, Mr. E. E..Lucy, stated last night that strikers who had returned to work at Eveleigh for the 24 hours to 9 a.m. yesterday numbered 67. Men were coming in every hour, ho added, but the resumptions after 9 o'clock Would not be available till today. Mr. Lucy further stated that the total of loyalists at work was 2664, new hands, engaged numbered 1120, strikers who had been re-employed totalled 2273, while the number of men on strike at 4 p.m. on Monday was 6983. A report issued by the Tramway Department last ■ night Btated that "men have been returning in batches to the various depots."

•"• ' THE WAGES STAFF. Sydney, September 4. The 'Chief Eailway Commissioner (Air. Eraser) stated last night that the total wages staff employed when the strike oocurred was 37,066, and that, owing to the resjmiption of 1 work by strikers and additions to the staff by tho employment of new hands, approximately G6 per cent, of tho normal i ailway and tramway staffs was at work. "That the strike was absolutely unjustified," Mr.Fraser added, "is clearly indicated by tho fact that of the total wages staff employed on tlm railways and tramways on August 1, 55 per cent., or an absolute majority, are* now in the service; and, as all policy is governed practically by majority rule, then all strikers should accept tho verdict given by tho majority in this particular instance that there was no cause for a strike in connection with the introdue- «!» of the card system in the railway workshops." NEARLY 16,000 EFFECTED IN VICTORIA. . s Melbourne, September 4. Statistics supplied to the joint meetingot the Federal and" State National Committees yesterday by Mi'. H. 11. Murphy, Secretary for Labour, show that there are now 15,858 persons in Victoria, who are affected by the strike. Of this number 6700/ have gone on strike or havebten locked 'out, 5317 have been involuntarily thrown out of work, but not lockout, and 3841 employees in the boot trade are working short time.- There are 3672 females out of work rnd 9345 males. The industries affected are:—Artificial manure, bedstead, boiler-making, boot, carting, confectionery, cordage, dock labouring, iron work, jam, match, sugar refining, wharf labouring, wood work, and. seamen. LOSS IN REVENUE. OVER .£200,000 IN ONE AIONTH. Sydney, September 1. Tho effect of the strike upon, the rail,way and tramway revenue is shown by the official returns for August, issued last night. Eevenue Revenue for for < Aug., 1916. Aug., 1917. Eailways 612,001.. 495,665 Tramways 163,899 76,8-13 Decreases for Aug., 1917:— Eailways ' / 116,336 Tramways 87,056 Total decrease... ' 203,392 IDLE WORKERS.

18,000 NORTHERN UNEMPLOYED. Newcastle, September 5. A statement prepared by the Department of Labour aiid Industries gives the number of unemployed at 17,742 in .the area extending from Broken Bay to Port Maccjuarie across to Werris Creek and the adjacent towns. The details are:— Colliery employees 10,070 Transport services 2,088 Engineers, shipbuilding trades and metal workers ....... I.'JSS ' Wharf labourers, coal trimmers, general labourers... 1,230 Assistants and miscellaneous ... 1,051 Wagon and car builders and brick-makers 531 ■' Building trades 207". Sawmill employees 182 Tood supplies HI , Some of those out of work when the return was compiled. have since returned to their employment, and men then at work have ceased. The position in the Newcastle district is gloomy, and shipping, in the words of the Departmental report, is stagnant. Land transportation, except on the railways, is thoroughly disorganised. The siuvrnilling- industry i around the Newcastle factory area has been considerably affected. The retail, houses are doing half their ordinary business, and if an early settlement is not arrived at the Christmas season will be 'very dull. SECRET PLANS FOR A GENERAL STRIKE EVIDENCE OF GIGANTIC CON- - .SPIRACY.. .-'-., Sydney, August 28.. "The Government has in: ite. possession," said Mr. Fuller, the "Acting-Pro- 1 mier, in a statement last night,("ample evidence, showing that, long ; before the cards were introduced a scheme was secretly originated aiming at the. holding up of the whole of Australia by means of a general strike. When the whole his-tory-of this struggle is made known thd public will realise what really happened. The scheme for a general hold-up came off some months before the secret strike committee was ready. This general strike ■ was organised to take place at a. later date, but tho. men responsible for it could not control the.'red-rag' element, ,and all that has happened is that the strike took place nionhs Wore it was originally intended. "This is why the Government says that there can be ho compromise in a dispute of this kind. Once the strike is used for other than industrial purposes, once it is : used to take Government control out of the bands of Parliament, a Government'can only face the position squarely and say that, whatever the consequences mav be, a strike of this nature must be'fought to a finish. I can only again reiterate my assurances that tho card system does not interfere with any oxisting working conditions, that it does not involve the, Taylor or any sweating system, and that it is in reality a feeble pretext for a general industrial upheaval inspired by purely political motives." N QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT. . Sydney, August 30. In tho Legislative Assembly yesterday Mr. Cochran asked the Acting-Premier if he had seen a statement published impugning his (Mr. Fullor's) veracity _ when lie said that tho Government had evidenceto show that the strike was premeditated? Mr. Fullor: A statement of that character would not be made by me, realising tho responsibility of my utterances, unless I "had good grounds for it. Mr. Cochran: What are those grounds? Mr. Fuller: In all probability the justification for what I have said will come, out in a quarter where it will be very unpleasant For certain gentlemen. (Ministerial applause.)