WELLINGTON TRAMWAY STRIKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1001, 1 February 1912, Page 3

WELLINGTON TRAMWAY STRIKE.

The tramway men went out on strike yesterday atternoon. The council emphatically declined to remove Inspector Fuller. There is a prospect of a tramless Wellington being unaltered for a few days at least. Wellington’s streets without the cars running last night presented a scene of dead calm. Cabs and taxis reaped a harvest. A strike committee was set up at yesterday’s uuiou meeting consisting of the following The executive of the Tramwaymeu’s Union (15 members), and Messrs W. T. Young (president ol the Trades and Labour Council), F. Keyliug (secretary of the Trades Couucil), W. Noot (vice-president Trades Council), P. Hickey (Federation of Labour), M. J, Reardon (secretary General Labourers’ Union), R. Ross (editor Maoriland Worker), P. Muir (secretary Tailors’ Union), D. Blackie (secretary Drivers’ Union), G, G. Farland (secretary Waterside Workers’ Union), and E. J. Carey (secretary Cooks and Waiters’ Union). Mr Young was elected chairman, Mr A. Sutherland (secretary of the Tramwaymeu’s Union) secretary, and Mr Reyliug treasurer.

The power house employees received definite instructions from lhe strike committee last night that they must “ down tools ” at midnight. Accordingly, about twenty men ceased work at the hour appointed.

An official statement was made last night alter the meeting of the strike committee, which deliberated for about two and a half hours, by Mr W. T. Young, chairman of the strike committee, and ex-secretary of the Tramways Union, in which he stated :* “ We have made up our minds that Fuller has got to go. The City Council can sit down and churn that over just as it thinks fit ; but until it is churned out in the direction we wish the wheels of the tramway service will not revolve. We are determined to see the matter through, and to see that the men involved not only gel pioper treatment, but that they get proper help during the lime of trouble. If the City Council is a wise body of men it will dump its dignity and transfer Fuller in the interests of an important public undertaking and the whole community as well.” Messrs R. Ross (editor Maorilaud Worker), M. J. Readon (editor of the Weekly Herald), and A., Sutherland (secretary of the Tramwaymeu’s Union) have been deputed by the strike committee to draw up a manifesto setting out the position from the men’s point of view, lor circulation to the public. Interviewed last night, Inspector Fuller said he could not see his way to resign, because that would be tantamount to an ad mission on his part that he was in the wrong. He had acted squarely and fairly throughout his connection with the service. He was quite prepared to have White’s case, which, it had been said, was the culminating point in regard to the present position, adjudicated upon by a judge of the Supreme Court and he would stand or fall by the result. In connection with his duties, continued Mr Fuller, he had done everything openly and above board, and had never been guilty of doing anything which might be called “dirty.” He had been an inspector for fourteen months in Wellington, and had held a similar position in Auckland. In both instances the positions were given to him by promotion and not by application. With respect to Auckland he had left there on his own account on a question of principle, regarding a departmental matter, and had received a testimonial from the Tramway Company. In Auckland he had been picked out of 200 applicants for the position of inspector, carrying out those duties for 12 months. He joined the Wellington tramway service in 1903, when the horse cars were running, and had gone through all the grades. As to the union’s present charges he had come to the meeting of the council to meet the charges, and considered the union should at that lime have put forward anything it had against him. The Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, has made a suggestion to Mr Dalton, president ol the union, that Messrs T. W. Hislop and J. G. W. Aitken, ex-Mayors of Wellington, be asked to adjudicate on the question in dispute. The City Council held a meeting in committee last night and discussed the position, and another meeting will be held to-day. Later. A conference of the Tramways Committee and strike leaders with Mr Halley, Conciliation Commissioner, as intermediary, will be held this afternoon.

The Acting-Mayor is hopeful of a settlement.

The New Zealand Times calls upon the Council to resign. The Dominion says : “The question involved does not lend itself to arbitration, for the question is simply whether the city or a trade union shall command the city's affairs. In the meantime we trust the public will bear its troubles patiently and give loyal support to whatever action is taken in defence of the city against the aggressions of the Labour agitators. The city has been challenged in its supreme right, and it must meet the challenge without shrinking.”