RUSH TO THE UNDERGROUND.

GIRLS LEAVE TUBE TRAINS.

London experienced the full effects of the strike yesterday, although the inconvenience was to a considerable degree lessened by the fact that the L.C.C. tramway service, the tubes, and the underground railways were running. The crowding on to these systems of the people ordinarily employing other means of transit created great congestion, and in the “rush” intervals passengers were packed in the railways almost with the closeness of sardines. The scenes in the queues were indescribable. People fought to get on to the trains, and at most stations the waiting lines extended to a great length. At the Elephant and Castle the confusion was intensified by the curtailment of the service on the Bakerloo line, necessitated by girl conductors, lift and platform attendants, numbering about sixty, suddenly coming out on strike. These girls do not belong to the Transport Workers’ Federation, but for the most part are members of the National Union of Railwaymen. Six-car trains were running with only a driver and one conductor in consequence of many girl conductors leaving the trains at various points along the route between Watford and Elephant and Castle. Marching to the North Camberwell Progressive Club, the girls held a meeting, and pledged themselves not to return until their grievances had been righted. One of their number subsequently explained that, although they work the same hours as the men, they get 12s 6d a week less. The Bakerloo girls’ strike extended later in the day to practically the whole of the station and train staffs on the line, and the male employees decided to hold an evening meeting to decide whether they should throw in their lot with the women Travelling conditions on the line towards the close of the day were very bad. Women left the lifts to look after themselves, and the station platforms were denuded of female staff, with the result that the company had to utilise a fair number of its male train staff to work the lifts. In consequence the train service had to be reduced. This, coupled with the congestion caused by the stoppage of the ’buses, led to the stations on the Bakerloo being besieged with would-be passengers. In the majority of the stations only one or two lifts wore working, and the men experienced the greatest difficulty in dealing with the large influx of people. The platforms of the principal stations were all overcrowded, and the trains filled almost to suffocating point. At several stations ugly rushes took place among the crowds waiting to board the trains.