THE STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1920, Page 5

THE STRIKE.

AUCKLAND WITHOUT TRAMS. . THE DEADLOCK CONTINUES. TROUBLE CONFINED TO TRAMS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, June 5. The heavy downpour to-day added greatly to the inconvenience caused by the tramway strike. Queen Street was more than usually full this morning, owing, no doubt, to the influx of people who intended going to the races. Before ten o'clock, however, the races and all sports were postponed, and in the afternoon the city was practically deserted.

Queen Street establishments generally report good business, which is attributed by some to the fact that the country people, once in the city, were forced to shop in the main street. Extra train facilities have Been provided to meet the heavy passenger traffic from the suburbs.

In connection with the offer of mediation by tho Minister of Labor, who asked the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. Hally) to get in touch with the parties with a view to effecting a settlement, difficulty arises" from the fact that the tramwaymen are not working under an Arbitration Court award, but under an agreement between the Tramways Union representatives and the City Council. Mr. Hally, interviewed officials of the Tramwaymen's Union this morning, and the position of affairs wan explained to him.

The tramway employees were to-day served with the following notice: "Owing to the motormen and conductors having ceased work, the service ia entirely suspended, and the department regrets it has no other_ course open to it than to give notice to other employees that their services will not be required, as there is no work for them. You are hereby notified that your services will not bo required after Saturday, 12th inst."

A copy of the following resolution, carried by the Newmarket Borough Council, ban been forwarded to the Mayor of Auckland: "That the Newmarket Council strongly deprecates the action of the tramway employees concerned in the present strike, particularly in view of the fair and reasonable treatment accorded them during the recent wages dispute, and desires to congratulate the Mayor of Auckland on the stand he has taken in the matter, at the same time assuring him of the unanimous support of this council in any action found necessary in maintaining the efficiency and discipline of the service."

Other local bodies interested have adopted similar resolutions.

THE LATEST POSITION. NO SETTLEMENT IN VIEW. ATTITUDE OF OTHER WORKERS. Auckland, Last Night, i There is still no sign of a termination of the strike. None of the motormen or conductors applied for work during the week-end. ' The Mayor and the special committee of the council set up to act in conjunction with him in the matter, make the following official announcement:—"The council is standing firm in its decision to require that disciplne and authorty must be upheld, and this is fundamental to a settlement." The Tramway Union and the Auckland branch of the Transport Workers' Advisory Board held meetings on Saturday to further the situation, and no decision was arrived at with regard to future action, the meetings being adjourned. Members of both or-

gunisationj met again this morning and this afternoon, when Mr. J. Roberts, national secretary of the Transport Workers' Federation, was present. Up till 5 o'clock »V> decision had been arrived at.

While the tramwavmen are on strike the jockeys, for whom they struck, arc at work. This situation is unlikely to be altered. Judging by a statement made by representatives of the Jockeys' Association on Saturday, the position seems to be that the dispute with the racing clubs and racehorse-owners being Bub judice, the jockeys fear to lose their means of employment if they join their sympathisers in striking. They Will, therefore, ride at the races tomorrow and again on Wednesday unless something unforeseen occurs in the meantime to change their attitude.

The raihvaymen, as a body, are opposed to the strike, and to any idea of joining it. They can see no reason for the strike, and none why they should participate. In it or be drawn into the dispute. The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants is to meet to-morrow morning, but members interviewed during the week-end expressed the opinion that it was quite unlikely they would recede from the position they have taken up. They stated that it is erroneous to suppose .they arc affiliated with the Transport Workers' Federation. Their only conection therewith, they stated, was that their president was also president of the Transport Workers' Advisory Board. There is considered to bo no reason to believe, therefore, that any railwaymen in either branch of the service will refuse to take out race trains to-morrow morning or on Wednesday. They say: "The jockeys are riding and the totalisator employees are working, Why, then, should we refuse to run the trains to the races?" The attitude of the waterside workers is also against actively joining in the strike, unless their hands should be forced by any action of the shipowners. They state that they have obeyed the edict of the Transport Workeris' Advisory Board declaring races "black" to the extent of refusing to load or discharge racehorses on to or from vessels. They are not disposed to go beyond that at present.

Similarly the seamen, nffiliated, like the waterside workers, with the Transport Federation, are confining their sympathy with the jockeys and strikers to refusing to carry racehorses on their ships A point of some tribulation to the tramwaymen is that the action of the seamen and the waterside workers is on all fours with their own refusal to take out race care, and that while they have lost their positions in consequence, no such fate lias befallen the other two bodies of workers. The tramwaymen would appear, therefore, to be alone in their action. That many of them are realising just how foolish they have been is evident from the remarks, of thow sees during

the week-end. A surprisingly large number are, from all accounts, in the dark as to why they are on strike at all. "We were guided by the spirit of unionism," said one, '"but it looks to some of us as if we had been made tools of." Another man admitted that in the first stages of the strike some of them thought that the City Council would give way to them and iseck to settle with them 011 their own terms. They were beginning to recognise now, however, that they had misconstrued the fair spirit in which the council had met them in regard to previous disputes and the new agreement, into a sign of weakness- The number-willing to continue on strike for the sake of a very doubtful principle, however, wus stated to be dwindling daily.