The Tramway Strike.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 48, 9 February 1912, Page 5

The Tramway Strike.

Tho strike which resuli"! in Wellington's excellent street oar soivh" being .suspended was th" outvalue oi tho ctospicaole svsfem ot pimping :ind Bpviiig ■„ Inch #W be f."uiid in ccrUi'i trimwiiv servllf. Like Wellington, those centres which have pormiU-e.j .this despicable practice have _been, sooner or later, involved in a strike Tho Wellington service has_ h.ee; curbed with the presence ;>i ut. help, idn.tl who, caking advantage oi !:.> position M an inspector, is e.i! ;"i :■■ iuiv ■■ slopped to the most d>-;-':'eei el it! "t'lod-. ', 1 order to blast the character oi certain men. Baseless charges of theti, it is alleged, wero laid, without a scrap of evidence—insults and browbeating were the order of the daytill the men, unable to Maud clns espionage any longer, appealed to- tm' City Council for his removal. After discussing the matter, t>;e Tramways Committee of th»\ try Council 'recommended the transter or Inspector Fuller to another position in tho service. This was after he had. been censured in the Mayor s mom lor some offence. The Council refuse.;! to concede the recommendation ot t-ne Tramways Committee. Then the linen began to talk strike. The Coum-d Biniled, imagining it was a game' » : bluff. ~ , . ~ But. goaded by the eer-hnmd insult* and malicious report* sent in, pmpricked beyond the point ot human h;-duMi.c-o, the men saw that thoy eitner had to cease work or he oramled nj craven creatures unwortiiy the name oi men ; and, accordingly, they and struck most effectively. Tlie tramway service ot was completely paralysed. _ Follow:n s on tho magnificent vote in.favor ol cessation of work, the men of the \\oTramways Union lost no Lime in ° etting clown to business. On Tuosdav, Janmu-y •'«>, meetings ot tho afternoon and morning shifts wie held at 10.30 a.m. and 8.30 p.m. regpectivelv. At both these meetings, the solidarity of the men was most marked. The principa' business ,„.■!,- discussion was as to whether to- ); .,-,i would give 14 days' notice ot their j;tentioii to strike or to down tools n.modiatelv. The overwhelming preponderance 'of opinion was in favor or tho hitter eotir.se. Alter addresses in Union officials and others a resolution was submitted at the morning uuv,ing that the tram service be stopper! on. Wednesday, 31st ult., between ih" hour* of 2 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. u> discuss the course of action. I pan a division being taken, the resolution wtis carried unanimously, amidst great enthusiasm. , The evening meeting., luce the morning one, was particularly well atteiined +he same matters being again discussed. Like the other the epirit in favor of stoppage of wonc on %h« following afternoon was most marked. A division was ogam called for, the resolution being carried unanimously. , J _, . , On Wednesday afternoon the city ot Wellington was simmering with excitement. Rumors and counter-rum-ors were in tho air. Would the men stop? Were they going to flout- our dear old Arbitration Act? What about tho penalties which t-no strike entailed? . The men, however, had considered mil these phases of the question. Tneir answer was: "To Hades with tti-e Act —penalties and all!" Punctually at 2 p.m., the cars, as they arrived at Lamhton Station, were deserted by their crews. The motormen, on stepping off, carried with tnem tho handles' and keys. Shortly after 2 p.m. the men began to arrive at the Trades Hall, where the meeting was to have taken place, but tho building proved altogether inadequate, ami an Adjournment was made to tho King s Theatre, kindly given free of charge for the occasion. After a little desultory discussion, a resolution was moved that tho members of tho Wellington Tramway Union (refuse to return to work until such time as Inspector Fuller was removed from contact with the men. It was decided to take a ballot upon tho motion, tho Union Executive, anticipating the resolution, having provided printed papers. When the ballot was counted st was round that out of a total of 362 votes cast, 360 wero in favor of immediate cessation of work, with two votes informal —unanimous. The decision was greeted with prolonged cheering. Now that tho strike was decided upou, plans for its successful continuance were immediately made. A Strike Committee was set up, and arrangements for public meetings made. Throughout the whole oi Ju- proceedings, faoni the holding of the two meetings to the final gathering in the King's Theatre, the demeanour of tho men was most commendable. Perhaps the most striking feature ol' the whole |>rooeeclin-ga was tho absolute solidarity »f the men. It is doubtful whe•iJber any section o? workers in Now Zealand" could have displayed greater .unanimity tJian was evidenced by the two meetings on Tuesday, whilst the Ti«ult of the ballot —the "secret -halk>i," so dear to the heart of the capitalistic press —was sublime. The men demonstrated beyond cavil that they wero prepared to fight tho autocratic City Council to the bitter end. On Wednesday evening the Strike Committee met in. the Trades Hall, *ml soon got to work in a thoroughly business-like fashion. Mr. T. Young was elected president, and A. Sutherland (secretary Tramwaymen) secretary, with F. Royling (T.H.C. Bocre•tetry) treasurer. Arrangements were wtfwle regarding tho conduct of the strike and re picketing, daily, jaeotiiujs,

A Wellington Upheaval.

daily roll-call and other minor matters. .1 --as decided to upon the Wharf j iborers' and Drivers' Unions asking ..mi' to retrain from bundling coal lot-

'..;> corporation A manifesto putting the case tor the men was also decided tip-ail. tin Thursday morning the Strike. Com in it: i-i- assembled, when further eutUr, in connection wilh the strike were discus-ed. It was decided, in the event ot the City Coimei! seeking an interview \i ith the Sirike Committee, that a deputation lie arranged to cooler with them. Messrs \oiing, Ili<key, and Dultoit (Tramway Union President) were chosen to represent the Strike Committee

On Thursday evening a communication lias received by tho Committee thai the City Council was not in posv>>sion ot the points at issue. These were accordingly sent. Later on information was received that the Council had arranged to meet the Committee's representatives on Friday morning.

On Friday morning the Committee ('to which the name of Mr. Reardon had been added) proceeded to the Town Hall and met the Council's Committee, consisting of Councillors Fletcher, Atkinson, McLaren, Shirteliife, with Acting-Mayor Smith. After a prolonged discussion, the workers' re-prosontat.iv-e-« submitted to tlieConnoil's Committee for their approval the following clause: "That Inspector Fuller bo t rar.sforred to another branch of the service where he will not come into contact with any members of the Tramway Union." After considerable argument and much opposition, th" clause was agreed to. Two other clauses, one dealing with the question of nines liable under tho C and A. Act, and another with reinstatement of men without yiotimisation, were agreed to. Roth committees returned and announced to the City Council's other representatives that an agreement bad been arrived at. Immediately dignified speeches of congratulation upon the settlement were delivered by all concerned.

Then the typewritten copies of the I'greeinent were handed round. This was found to be altogether differently worded to that agreed to by the Strike Committee's representatives, who in eoii.-equeiieo refused to sign the agreement submitted. Submitted later to a meeting of the men, it was unanimously rejected.

On Saturday morning the position was again considered by the Committee, when it was agreed that the minute already upon the books of the Council be the basis of agreement, viz:

"That it be an instruction to the electrical engineer in tho settlement of the dispute to have Inspector Fuller placed in a position where he will not have any dealings with tho members of the Tramways Union."

Tho Committee's representatives then visited the Town Hall and gave the decision of the Committee to the City Council's Committee. This proposal was rejected by the City Council, when Councillor Hindmarsh, disgusted at the attitude of the Council, "blew into" that fossilised body and broke up the Council's reps, for that day.

Another meeting of tho Strike Committee was then held, and it was realised that drastic steps would have to be taken in order to win. A line of action for the extending of the striko was considered, and arrangements made for its being carried into effect.

A. meeting of the presidents and secretaries of all Unions in Wellington was called to discuss the question, and to ascertain how far these bodies were prepared, in the opinion of the officials, to back the Strike Committee. A monster meeting in the Basin Reserve was also a r ran ace d.

On Sunday morning the meeting was held. In addition to the union representatives and the Strike Committee, It. Semple and J. Glover (organiser and sccj'i'tnry N.Z.F.L.) wore present. After considerable discussion, the following resolution was unanimously agreed to: "That tho representatives oil the various organisations at this meeting hereby pledge that they will, on request of the Strike Committee, recommend and urge the members of their unions and organisations to 'Down tools' in support of the tramwaymen." At 3 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, upwards of 5000 people assembled in the Basin Reserve to attend tho rally organised by the Striko Committee. The speakors—Messrs. Young, Semple, Payne, ALP., Rickey, Roardon, Carey. Sutherland and Dalton—were listened to with the greatest attention. Mr. Carey moved, and Mr. Hickey seconded: '"That this meeting of citizens calls upon the members of the City Council to sign the terms of settlement as now submitted by the Strike* Committee, or failing to do so, resign as a body, so that tlio people will have an opportunity of giving their verdict on the issue in dispute." When the resolution was submitted, it was carried unanimously amid enthusiastic cheering, a veritable sea of hands being extended heavenward. The gathering was stated to be tho largest publio meeting held in Wellington. The personnel of the Striko Committee was as follow :—Messr3 W. T. Young, R. S. Ross, P. H. Hickey, M. J. Reirdon (General Laborers), E. J. Carev (Cooks and Waiters), F. Heyling (scoretary Trades Council), W. Noot (Electrical Workers), G. G. Farland (Wharf Laborers), D. Blackie (Drivers' TJnion), and in addition all the membors of the Tramway Union Executive.