AUSTRALIAN LABOUR TROUBLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 116, 18 May 1903, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR TROUBLES.

THE PREMIER SATISFIED. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. M elbournb, May 16. The Premier expresses himself well satisfied with the result. He attributed the breakdown for the most part to'the overwhelming force of public opinion and the determination in all parts if the coun'ry that the Government shculd be suprtme, The Commissioner had assured him that very soon he would be able to bring the service into a sufficiently satisfactory condition un-' til the whole question could begone' into by the tbree Commissioners. In tbe meantime the ques'ion of how toaiy strikers can be employed would be considered by a board of enquiry. The eervica would be rapidly increased up to the poiot cotsidered nece'sary and p-opar. In the meantime no passenger trains woul<J. run on Sunday to enable the Department! to deal with the conges ion of goods traffic.

OPINION OF LONDON PRESS. ... Beceived 17,4 56 p.m. LoxDfra, May 16. The Daily News says the Victorian railway men's false step in striking obscured tht-ir undoubted grievance. The Times applauds Mr Irvine's wisdom and courage, and exprcß : es the hope that under similar circumstances English statesmen may exhibit equal firmnesp. Ihe Daily Telegraph s }'s Mr Irvine has taught the men a better les on than Kuyp>r, the Netherlands Premier, taught tbe Dutch Socialists during the late railway troub'es there. It applauds the signal triumph of a courageous and competent Government, b icked by vigorous common sense and patrio'ic citiz nship. Tbe Pall Mall Gazette eays the ignominious collapse of" the s'rika ought to produce a salutary effect upon the over- J weening pretensibns of the Labour Party.

R:ctiv?d 17 5.22 pm. Melbourne, May 17. The secretary of the Amalgamated Society of Locomo'iva D ivers of Australia declares that if the Government dors not treat the memb rs of the drivers' execu'ive well, thr-Society- will take steps to reorg .bi-e them.

STORMY MEETING OP DRIVERS, REINSTATEMENT BY BALLOT. TERMS IM?OSSD, Received 17, 5.23 p.m. Melbourne, May 17. A large me-ting of drivers*was he'd yesterday, the prbcaedings beinp stormy. The feeling free'y expressed was that the s'rike should never have been declare 1 cflF, and ctrthioly not until the executive, agairst whom considerab'e bilt j rness had been displayed, had consulted the men.

I Meantime, a large number of applications to resume work has been received by the D partmen*, but as there are only a limited number of vacancies to fill a ballot was token, 8.-fore the ballot was taken every man had to sign a document to the effect the the hid taken no leading part in the strike, or committed no act of intimida l ion, with a stipulation that if found on enquiry these statements were not ,rorr< ci hs would make way for man, Ths document ateo pro- [ vidi s that the Baird sball have unfettered discretion to allow -or disallow, wholly, or in part, any pension or compsn a'ioD.

Additional traits were run from midday, and it is expected that on Monday the service will be sufficient to cover the main traffic requirements.

RUMOURED RENEWAL OF STRIKEMEN DISSATISFIED. . Received IS. 1 6 a.m. Melbotjbne, May 17. A sensational rumour is curr nt tonight that the railway men, be ng dissatisfied with the feeders declar n* the strike off, have appointed a new executive -and will renew the strike to. morrow.