ENGLISH RAILWAY STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 48, 20 November 1919, Page 3

ENGLISH RAILWAY STRIKE

HOW IT PARALYSED TRANSIT

LETTER FROM MR. W. H.

MORTON

Mr. W. H. Morton, the City Engineer, is .still in England as far as is known, having been unable lo .secure a berth'by any ronli.; owing lo the most extraordinary congestion in transit arrangements known ill Iho history of the Empire, a stale of things caused by the number of steamers that are still being employed as transports. When he last wrote to the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), Mr. Morton ha<l been up lo llio Midlauds inspecting machinery, etc. "1 havo since been to Lotchwortli." writes the City Engineer oil Soptemk-r 2D, "Cambridge, and into Wales, where 1 visited Swansea, Cardiff., and, later, Bristol an! Uatli, returning to London yesterday, just in time lo prevent my being held up by the railway strike, of which you will have heard by cable. A very notieeablo point in connection -with this strike was thu dra-matic-suddenness with which it was announced. A statement was made two days before the announcement of the strike that trouble was pending, and evidently that was done.in order that it might be said that, warning' was given. Most peopb considered that as tho change in tho conditions of working could not |;a made until after December, and then only if tlie cosli of living were lowered, that ample tiino was available for negotiations. However, immediate consideration was forced upon the Government, and as the latter wa,s not _ 'disposed to give way on the points raised a general strike came into operation yesterday. The confusion m London was very great. In Order to see what it was like I set myself the task, of getting to Croydon, and bnck. Croydon is about eleven miles from Whitehall. I could not get a bus after waiting nn hour, so got a taxi to Brixton, waited another hour there, and gob a tram to Strcgthani j, then, after - nnother considerable wait, I got another ''bus to Croydon,, ilho. total time travelling, with stops, being about three hours, As Croydon, is greatly a residential suburb of Loudon, and has a population of about 200,(H)0, it would he seon how. the public was affected. As far as can be ascertained the sympathies of the public are with tho'Government. As you will know, the railway systems of England, Scotland, and Wales are affected. Tlhe tubes arid electric railways aro also stopped, but up to now tho buses and taxis and the L.C.C. trainways are still running, but threats are being made that these means of transport will also be stopped. "As to my return, I am constantly calling at wu> (MM?, office "to get tho latest information regarding sailings across the Pacific. .-. . I sincerely hope that I'.shall be back in New Zealand by. Ohristmas._ The new turbine for the tramways i 6 completed, mid was found to be'quite satisfactory. I do not know where it will be shipped. [Word has since been received l : hnt the turbine lias heen shipped,' and will arriva here at the end of the month.] I met Mr. William Cable, of. Wellington, in tilie High Commissioner's Office a few days ago. lie and his family seemed to be very fiti and well, and were looking forward to a good time in England, but from the present outlook it .seems as though' they will be disappointed."