POSITION IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8250, 3 October 1906, Page 5

POSITION IN SAN FRANCISCO.

; STRIKE OF MOTOR MN, RELIEF FOR THE CHILI SUFFERERS, (By Telegraph). (Per Mail Steamer at Auckland!. ' SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13. This city has been enduriog another ordeal, almost as trying to her ia her crippled condition as any Imaginable complication could be. Exasperated by the tactics of the United Railway Roads Company, the motor men and conductors inaugur - ated a strike on August 26th, which lasted ten days, and threatened to continue much longer. All but two of the oar lines in the city belong to the United Railroads Company. The company has been permitted to operate with overhead trolleys, and has been given franchises recklessly, because the citizens were in desperate need of oars to transport them over the magnificent distances covered with ruiDS nearly impassable on foot. The carmen have been cruelly overworked, as lines are fewer than before th« Are, and almost the entire active population must now ride on a part of the United Railroads. It is stated that there was a contract, made before the fire, which should have held the men at work until May Ist without; an advance 1 in wages, or suould have compelled them to arbitrate any differences with the company. However, the men struck, and the public suffered. In the end the strike was terminated by the officials of the Associated Carmen of the United states, who pointed out that arbitration was right, and the carmen of San Franoi3co would have their oharter revoked unless they went back to work and agreed to arbitrate their differences with the Uuited Railway Company. When the cars wore again running they were greeted with cheeriug thousands, and the city has already put this one more trial behind her. It is likely, however, that this disturbance and greed of labour and of capital has driven away some people, and prevented others coming to San Francisco. It must be said for the bricklayers that they voted in council not to demand an inoreaeq, from the minimum wag& of six dollars a day. They said Ibis decision was partly in view of the fact that good workmen were being paid a premium anyway, and it would be unfair to bring too much pressure to bear upon [the contractors ai-d builders. Something of the behaviour cf the people of San Franoisco may be gathered from the fact that- their contribution of ten thousand dollars was the first to reacn the stricken city of Valparaiso. Further contributions have been freely made for the Chili sufferers. The scarcity of labour continues, and is being keenly felt in the country districts, where crops of fruits and hops are suffering from lack of attention. Thousands of workers are in the fields, of course, but more are needed. Io spite of these conditions, the conventions of two great political parties, just assembled in California, have declared strongly against the admission of Oriental labaur.

CABLE NEWS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright,