AUSTRALIAN LABOUR TROUBLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 113, 11 May 1903, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR TROUBLES.

♦ Strike Commenced. Engines Abandoned at Midnight. GREAT EXCITEMENT. The Effect on Carriers. Increased Price of Food. The Strikers Confident of Victory.

(Per United Press Mblboubnb, May 9. The st! ike commenced at midnight, Crowds gathered ajt the principal stations to s.e the men come out. Fueling at times ran high, cheers and hooting alternating. As the last trains came in, the drivers and firemen did not bother about taking the engines to the shed?, but simply diew the fire?, and turned off steam at the fpit where they happened to be, when the clock struck midnight. The station yards are dotted with engines in the most unusual placep, and it wi'l require a good many of the Government's loyal drivers to clear the lines f )r traffic. Great crowds thronged Oollins-s'.reet -during the afternoon, and business was practically at a standstill. The coming strike was the absorbing topic. Only those acquainted with Mel-1 bourne and its train system can realise ! the seriousness of the situation brought I about by the strike. The effeci was felt, early, when the Government at 1.30 p.m. refused goods. The draymen and carriers were foroibly reminded that many of tbem would be thrown idle by the railway men's act. Even the- restricted service arranged by the Government is regarded as too op'imistic, as the utmost difficulty will be found in getting trains through to the couotty districts. Tha Government has decided to advertise in every Stata and New Zaaland for men. If they are no! forthc miug, an effort will be made to get men from India, America, and Britain. Ore result of the strike will be an incre iee in the result of food products. Bullocks went up with a jump to £ls. All fruit and fish supplies are stopped, and milk advanced by one penny per quart, chaff 10s a ton, butter one penny per lb, and potatoes ss. Many of the members of the excouiva are entitUd to compensation, ranging from £IOO to £556, or pan- , sions of from £52 to £ll3. , Bo h Mr Irvine (Premier) and Mr | Bent (Minister of Railwajs) were gte.ted with hooting and counter cheers on appearing in the street. Tbe secretory of the engine men is confident of success. He eays there is no chance of the Department ins'ituting a service of any value to the public, as men who are not used to the roads cannot run engines without endangering human life. Besides, the engines are in a disgraceful condition, , and in the hands of inexperienced men ' hey will fail. ' PARTIAL BERVIOE VAVJ3. COUNTRY TRAINS CANCELLED. Receive*. 9, 6.6 p.m. Melbourne, May 9. Eirly today it wf>sfouad impossible to carry out even the partial time-table Arranged for yesterday, owing to thtre nst bt-ing enough drivers and tl'emen. A number of those who were expeoted , faiUd to turn up. Large crowds gathered at Spancer- , street and ot hur stations to watch the despatch of train?, including many ' s'rikers, who used their efforts to induce those who had taken their places to join them, Beyond this and a little p hooting the proceedings were quiet and , orderly. ' It was close on 8 o'clock before the i first submban train got away, and only 9 very few were despatched up to noon, k The country rervice was cancelled, , aud the sule of tickets stopped early in the morning. ' I The usual mail train to Sydney was ( amongst those stopped, f RUSH FOR IRAMB. EXTRAORDINARY SCENE. SEVERAL AOOIDENT3 OCCUR, TRAINS CONSIDERED UNSAFE, LINES BLOCKED. FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. . REPORTED STRIKE OF TRAM POWER ENGINEERS. Received 9, 7.48 p m. Melbourne, May 9. ' The scene in the city this morning ' was extraordinary, The travelling I public, early realising that the tem- . porary service w, s a failure, rushed the i trams and busses which put forth all 1 their available resource?, while all desJ criptions of vehicles were eagerly pressed into the servica. Bicyles turned out in great force, but 3 many thousand's hid pjrforce to be , content with walking. From Pi incess-sti oat Station only a 5 service to Oamberwell was attempted, | but even that was too great a strain, Three trait g were sent out early in - tho morning. The first wtnt through ■ ilright; r,be sec h d had not moved ten \ yards when it broke down. Only one , had returned up to ten o'clock. A simsbr st*'.e of affiirs prevailed at [ Flinders-s ret. i Altogether up to ten o'clock only six suburban trains were dispatched. Juat as ono was starting an accident happened to thn guige. The volun:ojr driver and fioineu jumped off, ind, luckily, co'hiug serious resul'ed, bat they w. ra lvli -veJ of further du y. ■ Tue Wcstinghvuse brakes svore uj» 1 used. 'J'him>jn'i'y cf trainsara considered uii-a r e. Th j vjlunVcr driver ot eno of the ajrly train* was just reaiy to s art ; fr. m SpenC'i-s-.iGttand the guard blew lis whistle, bui the d.iv?r took up his ojat and sapped ctf tha foot board. Twj atcideuts are reported so Lr. i train was biinjr t*k-m out by a retired ddver at Pors Melbourne, when it ran eff ih) line owing, it ii alleged, i|tQ the signals cot, oDjratiog properly,

ss Association.) The traffic was blocked all the mewing. A second accident-, being more soti us, (ccurrcd to the goods train from Bsnalla to M-1 bourne, it being derailed at Avenel. Several trucks ana * the engine are lying actoss the track. Great damage was doae to tbe rolling stock and permanent way. Owing to the condition of affiirseon* sequent on the strike it has been found impossible tori ar the line. Crowds of st:ikers snd sympathiser! gathered at all the station?. It is reported that the engineer* in the tramway power hcus?s have decided to join the strike. MAIL SERVICE CONFINED TO CITT AND BUBURB3. EXCITEMENT AT FEVER HEAT. | RUMOURED STRIKE OF OTHER HUT. The express from Sydney was an boor late. It is alleged the delay mi canted by the rails on the strep grades being greased. Tiair.s are side-tracked all alone; the coun'ry limp, the live s'oik being tsiren out, tut the goods left untouched. Excpirgin the city and suburbs the mails are untouched, consequently there is a great block at the General Post Office. On account of this tbe telegraph effico will ba pp'oially open at certain hours tomorrow (Sunday) for the convenience of the public. < The sjcre'ary of the Engine Driven' Asro iation, is greatly elited with the breakdown of the eervior. With one or two exceptions the whole of the members of the Association obeyed thecillout. A social, commercing at midnight, for the purpose of keeping the strikers together, was hdd at the Trades Hall last night, and inoluded addresses by several Federal Labour Senators and members of the Stata Parliament, whos > sympathies are with the men. The Government, though fcoed by the fact that their promised service has broken down, state that in a tew days they will easily be able to get enoagh men to carry out their promise, ana give a fairly effective service. Mr Bent declared he was confident the Government must, and shall win, and that the sorriest men in the oountry presently will be'the drivers and firemen. Excitement is at fever heat in the city. There are police forces at the Melbourne stations, and a policeman a'so accompanies each train, but, so far, there has not been the least call for their eervicetj, ItTis rumoured there is a pcstibility of the shunters and signalmen striking. It is reported that the fitters hava struck, bu; this needs confirmation. PROVISIONS RISE 25 PER CENT. ! FREEZING WORKS CLOSED. Received 10, 4.20 p.m. Mblboubxk, May 10. Domestic provisions haveadvanoe! 25 per c:nt. The Government Freezing Works have been closed down owing to the) , strike, throwing over 100 men idle. 1 TRADE DISLOOATED. NO PRO3PXOT OF COUNTRY SERVICE SIGNALMEN AWAITCNO DEVELOP. MENTS. Received 11, 110 a.m. Mklboubm, May 10. The strike has completely dislocated trade throughout the State. One of the most setious phase is the paralysis of truth'.: in the inland centres. . The possibility of the strike was eon* aidercd so remote that the majority ef oountry tradespeople were oaught napping, and when it was seen to be inevitable orders were sent to Melbourne in shoals, but otme too late to Ml, At present there is no prospect of a oountry train service, and the outlook, if tha stukeis protracted, is serious. The signalmen are waiting develop* , men's. It is understood they will eon* sider the Governments further action on its merits, or, if oalled on, they will be prepared to strike. The tramway employees are not associated in the strike Their terms of employment guard agrfnst striking. CABINET COMMITTEE 811 CONTINUOUSLY-. BOTH SIDK.i CONFIDENT. Received U, 1.23 a.m. Mxubsubnb, May 10. Tin sub-committee of the Cabinet appointed to deil with the strike holds continuous sitting', and the men's executives are in constant session. The Government are firm, and oonfident they will eventually overcome. The men are jubilant at their suooesf, and are equally firm and confidant. The fishing industry will suffer severely, about 500 fishermen being virtually thrown idle owing to there being no trains to carry the fish. STRIKE LVPV IS NEW 80DTH WALES, Received 11, l.io a.m. Sydney, May 10. The fi-st levy on the New Siuib Wales railway men in support of tbe striker*, on a basis of on« d*y« piy per f irtuight, resulted in £750. This wfll be continue < until the tr u->l<- u ended. A mee ing of cho Now South Wales branch of tee Ilailwaym-n's Federation io day discussal thu situation, and satisfactioi w s express A at tha fcuccess of the strikers i tl'oriH, also willingnara to increase the levy if requirtd. Th* tnmway employees are also soppert'Bf>: the rail ff ay men, Exjoptiog a block wibthe inter-stata maiU, tho s'.iike, sj f*r, has had ttttj( effiQt on New tautb Watas,

Receive' 11. 1.26 t.Oi MELB'iUR*E, May 10. To-dij" saw no imp->rtans developments. A few snburhan trains wete ruo, and cr ga hered at the various railway stations to watch events, but generally, everything was quiet and orderly. _ On Saturday there was a slight distnrbance at North Melbourne where some non-unionists were chased and hooted, but nothing Berious occurred. ===== jf