A SERIOUS STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 185, 27 July 1908, Page 2

A SERIOUS STRIKE.

TIIE SYDNEY TRAMWAY MEN. LIMITED NCMJSER OF TRAMS RUNNING. Sydney, July The pinch of tho strike was felt tlus morning. Though a limited number of trains, each with its police guards, was running in all of the suburbs, the seivice was insullicicnt to cope with tho big early morning rush. As workers from the furl her suburbs fouud | in reaching the city, 'buses and all kind.of vehicles were pressed into the serj vice. Additional railway and Jerry lacilities were arranged to cope with the

block. , Many of the suburban police have been drafted to the city in readiness for the resumption of u modilied service. Al* togethei' twenty arrests were made m connection with yesterday's hostile demonstrations. The strikers acted with complete unanimity, not a single regular conduct remaining at work. The Department claims to have received numerous applications to iill the places of the strikers, including some from the other States and from New Zealand. . ... 4 , The Commissioners declare that i.u, men's action has made it impossible to

re-consider their decision. At a conference of the State Laboi Party and Labor Council, it was decided to interview the l'remier and impress upon him the grave danger of IK; trouble extending to other brandies ot _ the Government service, as well as outside unions. The strike at Newcastle up to la->t night was only partial. The. service is a steam one. The engine-drivers, not bavin" received the sanction of the cxccutive. did not come out with the conductors, and a partial service was mam-

executive officers of the union disclaim on behalf of their men any connection with the attempts to tamper with ears or the hostile demonstMtjon. They lay the blame on the rough element outside. The executive of the Amalgamated Railway and Tramway Association has decided that no member o any other brunch of the Association shall fill theplace of a striker. At the same time, fue executive deprecates the taking ot precipitate action at the present timeThere are rumors of the possibility of the Electrical Trades] Union and tne Waterside Workers' Unions striking in sympathy. A meeting of the former has been called for to-night.

FAIRLY GOOD SERVICE MAINTAINED. CONSTABLE ON EACH TRAM. THE PREMIER INFLEXIBLE. Received 25, 6.35 p.m. Sydney, July 25. A fairly good service was maintained by the trams to-day. Many old servants of the railway service came forward in the crisis. A constable accompanies each car. Sev-eral-arrests have been made for intimidation. On man received a month. Another attempt 1 was rnsulo to persuade the Premier to take action on behalf of thc men, but lie remains inflexible, and adheres to the determination that the men must first return to their duty.

THE SITUATION GRAVE. INDICATIONS OF A GREAT INDUSTRIAL UPHEAVAL. OTHER "ONIONS PROBABLY STRIKE TO-DAY. THE POLICE REINFORCED. Received 2fl, 4.45 p.m. Sydney, Last Night. The strike situation, has become grave, and there is now an indication of a great industrial upheaval. At the Trades Hall last night tho atmosphere was electrical. The Labor Council discussed the situation, but great secrocy was maintained. It is staled that a resolution was passed calling upon all unions to strike at noon tomorrow unless the tramway trouble has been ended.

Tho Wharf Laborers' Union is believed to be ready to striko at an hour's notice.

The police are being largely reinforced from the country districts. The weakness of tho men's position !>t present lies in tlie fact that the powerhouse men have not struck here. The engineers are members of the Institute, and this body has not taken action in connection with tho strike.

LATEST NEWS. GOVERNMENT TAKING ACTION STRIKERS' DEMONSTRATION. A MONSTER MEETING. RESOLUTION OP SYMPATHY. Received 27, 1 a.m. Sydney, Last Night.

A moderate service was maintained to-day. No trams are run after G o'clock at night. It is understood that the Government has decided to take, action in regard to thc strike under iho Industrial Disputes Act. In what direction it is not divulged.

The railway men's representatives,! after conferring with representatives of the Tramwaymen's Association and the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and 'Labor Council, decided to wait npon the i Commissioners to-morrow to present certain requests, the nature of which is not divulged. If the reply is not favorable, ti meeting will be called to consider the situation.

The Labor Council to-morrow asks Mr. Wade (the Premier) to appoint an independent board to deal with the Crouclicr ease.

The strikers and their supporters paraded the streets this afternoon. Afterwards they held a monster demonstration in the Domain, 70,000 being present. The meeting adopted resolutions of sympathy with, the strikers. During the procession and after the mecLing the tram service was stopped at the request of the police to obviate possiblo hostile demonstrations.

NEW ZEALANDEKS WARNED. By Telegrapli—Press Association. Auckland, Saturday. The secretary of the Auckland Tramway Union, Mr. A. Rosser, has telegraphed to Mi'. W. T, Young, secretary of the Tramway Union at Wellington:— "Warton cables warn New Zealand me;i keep away from Sydney. AVill you do it from executive? Let Sy.lney know New Zealand docs not breed tramway blacklegs, and wish Sydney men weil. Our men calm and resigned siiic«j Board's decision."

WHAT THE HEN COMPLAIN OF. j SYSTEMATIC ESPIONAGE. u The trouble among the Sydney tram- 1 wiiy men is much on the same lines a» that which recently led to a strike at Auckland. Tim men complain of the dismissal of men and of an alleged sys- . teni of espionage. Meetings of the men | were held ill Sydney last week, at which., i it was complained that men believed by j , the fellow-employees to be innocent had 1 ; been dismissed by the commissioners on j ; the reeomemudations of special officers. ! The president of the Union, Mr. Law-: ton, said the union should demand the reinstatement of Conductor Croucher \ . and tlie abolition of special officers.'j The executive was of opinion that Croucher, who had been dismissed as tlio; result- of the system of espionage, was, an innocent man. Conductor Freeston.; who had also been dismissed, was also' believed to be an honest man. Edgar Alexander, another, had been reported by a spy, but in his ease the appealcourt, sustained his appeal, a fact wliick showed the system to be unreliable, and open to abuse. The union was prepared to go to any extreme to have Conductor Croucher's character cleared. Croucher was n man who valued his good character more than he did his situation in the department. When these spies entered a car and bought tickets the men did' not know of the affair until two days later, and were unable to get witnesses. They should get the conductor to initial the ticket at the time, and the men would then know what was going to happen. He would not say that nil probationary constables lous, but in order to justify employment , these men might exaggerate. If they did , this, the conductor had no chance of de- j fending himself or disproving their i statements. There was no hope for coi- < duetors under this system. ITc lioped they would not stand it, and have the system abolished altogether. On tho ( railways, uniformed men did the work,;, and why should they not do it on the , trams? The ticket inspectors could do j the work. They examined the tickets of the pasesug'ers, and they could retain r any of tliem, and thus do tlio work of t

CABLE NEWS (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.)

tlio spies. The men should bo treated as men, uol criminals, lie hoped that they would' be unanimous, and i£ Croucher were badly dealt with, as they believed him t.o be, they should stick to him. It was resolved—"That the executive wait upon the Chief Commissioner and demand the immediate abolition of the special ollieer system; that Conductor Crouclier be reinstated; that the Chief Commissioner treat as one of urgency; and that special meetings be called to receive the Commissioner's answer." It was resolved that Crouclier be paid his wages by the union until the matter was definitely settled.