PETROL HOLD-UP

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 138, 28 June 1937, Page 7

PETROL HOLD-UP

-Press Association. k

Drivers Decide To" Resume Work REFERRED TO COURT

(By TelegraDh-

AUCKLAND, Last Night. A decision to return to wqrk to! aorrow was made by 40 drivers of • jetrol waggons, who ceased work on Eriday as a result of the dispute oyet he application of the 49-hqur week. Protraoted discussions oeeupied near" y the full day on Saturday and, il though further meetings of tho exeou.ive qf the Auckland Drivers' Union i,ook place to-day, up official etatement was made. However, it was learned that the employees would return on much the* original terms pending a cqpgiderntion pf the claims for an interpretation of the award hy the Arbitration Court next, Saturday. Qyer th.© W6©lc-8iid th© xush. for p6troi continued in service statiqns and suppljes appeared tp hold out. lqnger than was expected, hut this evening there wete * number of pumps whieh we?® empty and in a very large number qf other etations only a few gallons of motor spirit were left. Rationing wa# ipplied in many instances. Bakeries faced the week-end with coneern and in one case a stafE of mechanics was set to work on Saturday to convert the. oil'fuel fnrnaces to burn carbonetfes. This involved tho dtting of fire-bars and an alferation of fche oombustife, rate, and it. was ex--pected. somp diffipulty would be exporienced in obtaining adequate. coal firing in the limited cembustion spacq. The important transpQrt services. hav«> not been affeoted to a major degree, although the pirincipals of a taxi firm said their fuel supplies were rapidly dwindling. Qn Saturday night two fcaxi companies operating were unahle to book cars ahead for intending passengers. Wi?h the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr. R. E. Price, presiding, representa- . tives of the men and employers met on ; Saturday. As the afternoon waned ! without a decision being announced, it | was thought the intervention of ihe Acting-Prime Minister (Hon. P- Fraser) might be sought, but shorfly after his arrival at 4.3Q p.m« in the Union Airways aeroplane, Kotare, the meeting dispersed. The representativeq qf the employees did not meet Mr. Fraser. Although pickets were postecl a|t the depots until Saturday afternoon, the men exeroised every restraint and there Was no oceasion when. the employees had occasion to suspect trouble. Several petrol and fuel waggons were allowed into the yards on Saturday, but there was no staff present to undertake the handling or filling. It was also stated' that emergency services would not be embarassed by the strike.