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STRIKE OF RAILWAY MEN.
MORE WAGES WANTED.
THE HIGH COST OF LIVING.
Another strike took place at North Fremantle
yesterday. The railway men employed
on the duplication work at the
North Fremantle station, to the number of
about 50, ceased work on the ground that
their wages of 8s. per day was
below the amount paid by contract
tors for similar work, and that the
rate was insufficient to maintain themselves
and families under the existing conditions
as to the cost of living. Yesterday after
dinner the men presented a memorial to
Mr. J. Hayden, the Inspector of Permanent
way, pointing out that the rate of wages
paid by this branch of the Railway
Department was 2s. a day below
rate paid by contractors for ballast work.
It is understood that the men are comparing
the price paid here with that
obtaining on the Mullewa-Cue and Cool
gardie Kalgoorlie railway extension works.
The reply of the inspector to the demand
of the men was that their request would not
be complied with, and the men forthwith
stopped work, leaving the trucks unfilled
in the siding at the North Fremantle
station. The men in the gang who have
thus so promptly gone out on strike have
been employed in the last of the principal
earthworks on the duplication of the Perth
Fremantle line, the ballast tram from the
cutting having been run to fill up at Cottesloe.
A considerable portion of the cutting
at North Fremantle has been taken
out, but much still remains to be done
along this and other portions of the
line. The strike, so far as it has
proceeded, is not a matter of grave
concern to the Department, according
to Mr. Hayden's reference to the issue. It
is probable, however, that other men employed
on the duplication will go out to-day,
on the same terms as the others.
This may occasion delay in the progress of
the work, but as the new line is ready for
a considerable portion of its length to receive
the culverts, as, it is not considered
likely that there will be any lengthy
postponement of the opening.
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