RAILWAY STRIKE.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1924, Page 2

RAILWAY STRIKE.

RACING POSTPONED. TIM,ARC, April 26. Owing to the railway strike, South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting fixed for next week, has been postponed till May 23rd and 2-ltli. AN OAMARU QUERY. OAMARU, April 26. The Executive of lire Liberal Association sent the following message to Mr Massey:—“The Executive of the Oamaru Liberal Association asks you this:—ls is not deplorable on Auzac l)av to see men who fought at Auzac on strike for conditions which you promised them. You promised to give them not only a fair deal, but to he liberal with them. Do you call n. basicwage of £3 19s It'd, less superannuation. your idea of liberality, and an adequate fulfilment of your promises. Kindly reply in time for the public meeting on Tuesday night.—F. ButterHeld. Hon Secretary, Liberal Assn. Oamaru.” BIG UPHEAVAL LIKELY. WELLINGTON, April 21. The Railway Department despatched the Napier mail train shortly after i. o’clock to-day. Trains also made re--1,,..,. tni« tn Palmerston and Johnson-

ville on the Manawatu line and Lower Hutt. on the Wairarapa line. There is no intention of running the Auckland express to-day, nor to-mor-row, as Auzac Day is equivalent to Sunday. Ip. order to avoid the necessity oi shunting or working points the trains ore run with an engine at each end, ticket inspectors working as guards. There was a detective travelling iu the van oE one of the suburban trains. '['here is no sign of an attempt to settle the strike and it is evident that the men take the view that the Government wish them to muse it a light on exhaustion principles. They prediet that if the trouble lasts till next week if will develop into a big industrial upheaval. The Alliance of Labour lias not taken charge of ute dispute up to the present, though it may intervene later. Coal cargo is being discharged at the wharf into lorries. There arc railway trucks alongside the ship, hut no attempt to being made to fill them. MEN MAKE OFFER. CABINET TO CONSIDER. WELLINGTON, April 26 A special meeting of the ( ahinct is toiled for Monday to - consider proposals re new Board lor the railway dispute, submitted by the Secretary of the A.S.R.S. (Mr Alack).

WESTPORT POSITION. WESTPORT, April 27, The railway-men and their executive are meeting daily. 'I hey are wording secretly, doing a lot and saying nothing. The solidarity remains undisturbed. As a result of there being no trains, all sorts of vehicles are to he seen meandering round in an endeavour to

meet the requirements oi the country folk and townspeople. Residents are hurriedly gathering stores in readiness for a prolonged strike.

CM RI ST'CTI UR CH R EPOKT

HRiSTCM i’RCK, April 26

Something like a skeleton service may he instituted on Monday. If the present- intentions are carried out, there will he three trains each way on the Christchurch-Lyttelton line, with possibly a goods train each way as well. At 9 a.m., a mixed train is to leave for Oamaru. It is also intended that a mixed train each way shall he run on the (hristchiircli-Waikari line. It is hoped that on each alternate day, there will be a service between Christchurch and Oamaru. There is a great amount of motor traffic for both passengers and goods between Christchurch and Lyttelton.

The Public Works Department has ins! meted the Sumner Borough Council to nut a large gang of men on to repairs on the Sunuier-Lyttclton Road at the Government's expense. A gang started work this morning. Charabanc passenger services to all parts of the South Island are now in full swing. Yesterday, and to-day, large cars, belonging to various companies, took away scores of passengers to Timaru, Dunedin. and Invercargill, and, in addition, the service to Greymouth was re-established, the slips in the Otira Gorge having been reported clear. The Hamner and Kaikoura routes were also busy. A cargo of -1000 tons of Australian wheat from Geelong, sent to Lyttelton by the Union Company’s steamer Kaikoura, has been diverted to Auckland, because the port of Lyttelton is virtually closed to cargo by the strike. TRAINS AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON, April 2G From a public point of view, each succeeding day sees an improvement in the strike situation in that a fuller railway service is being put into operation. On Saturday the Department were able to take ordinary suburban passengers to Wellington and to return them to their homes after midday. In addition four race trains convoyed the officers and men of the visiting fleet to Trentham, each train consisting of eighteen cars and carrying a total of between 3000 and 'IOOO people. 'lO-ilay (Sunday), trains were run between Wellington and I pper Hutt, leaving Wellington in the morning and the afternoon. To-morrow a mail train will leave Wellington for Napier at 9.20 a.rn., taking passengers and mails. The Department announce that suburban trains will also run to-morrow, the districts to be served being Hutt, Jolinsonville and intermediate stations to Piimmerton.

i Stationmastcrs and others are aet--1 ing voluntarily as guards, while some i members of the First Division are aetI ing voluntarily in other capacities. i I CITIZENS PROTEST. j- PAHTATUA, April 2G. j A large meeting of citizens and farj mers this afternoon resolved : “That ; this meeting being representative of ! the third party to the dispute, emphati--1 cally protest against the hold up of . the business of the country and de- ! mauds that steps immediately he taken to bring about a satisfactory settlement.” The motion further suggested that a committee he immediately set tip, comprising five independent business men, who shall add three reasonable railway employees, and also three appointees by the Government to their number for the purpose of adjusting anomalies, if such bo found to r. . ■■

Some Men Resume.

Trains at Wellington.

A.S.R.S. Make Offer.

exist in the second division; and pending the bringing down of such report, the service to he immediately resumed. The meeting also placed on re- „ ? cord its appreciation of the reasonable attitude assumed by the first division and U.E.F. and C. association during the dispute, and trusted that the lead given by these two great bodies should • have an effect in drawing together the < owners and workers of the railway. MEN OFFERING TO WORK. WELLINGTON, April 26. M Front inquiries at various sources yesterday it was learned that considerable discontent is manifesting itself among sections of the striking railway-men, a number of whom reported for duty at different centres. it is quite possible that, within a few days, a considerable number of others —-\ will have offered o resume work. Should Hi is prove to he the case, it "ill enable the Railway Department to organise during the present week a more extensive service than was at first anticipated.

TRANSPORT WORKERS SUPPORT. WELLINGTON, April 27. In a case like this, where a section of the Transport Workers are engaged in a strike, there is always the possibility of other sections becoming involved also.” stated Mr J. Roberts, Secretary of the New Zealand Alliance of Labor to a ‘'Times” representative on Saturday.

“You cun take tliis down,’’ lie added, “that tlie Transport Workers will ■ support the railwaynien in their pro- , { sent fight.” ‘‘finder what circumstances, would that support take the form of a strike?” lie was asked. “Ah ! Now yoiii’re asking something?” nneswcrod Mr Roberts, and beyond his he would not go. WANGANUI REPORT. WANGANUI, Aril 26. There is r.o change in the strike situation here. Motors continue regular services. Two > A , ; T lorries loaded with bananas passed ~ through town to-day en route to. New I’lymouli, and to Wellington and Feilding respectively. The bananas were brought from Auckland to New Plymouh by the Rarawa. HEAVY TRAFFIC ON ROADS. The Horov'henua County Council is responsible for the maintenance of 50 miles of main highway which lias already been damaged to the extent of £7OOO or £BOOO by the stream of motor traffic. Fifty men and nine motor lorlies have been put oil, but doubt is expressed of their ability to keen the > road open. The speed of the motor t-raf- -- he is said to he he chief factor in the disintegration of the service.

PETROIi DEMAND. DUNEDIN, April 27. The usual household grades of coal arc in keen demand. Merchants, fearing attain: ts at hoarding, are regulating the output from their yards,' only a bag or two at a time being doled out.

This must not he accepted as an iudicaiou that the merchants fear a long drawn out struggle, hut is merely a precautionary measure, anil one which will not bear hardly on anyone, but will rather tend to place everybody on an equal footing. Notwithstanding that the mileage of most motor ears and lorries have been largely increased as a result of the strike? supplies of petrol and other spirits are still ample. It so happened that the motor spirits merchants had heavy stocks in hand prior to the commencement of the trouble, so here need be no anxiety with regard to the supply.

FOR SPEEDY TERMINATION

DUNEDIN, April 21

At a special meeting this morning the Watersiders’ Union resolved: “It is demanded in the interests of the country that the Premier immediately assemble Parliament for the express purpose of speedily terminating the trouble forced on the railway employees and other workers ol New Zealand. “We are also of opinion that any further delay might bring about .something iin the nature of a national calamity.”