THE STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 104, 1 May 1920, Page 6

THE STRIKE .

Tlie .high hopes of a speedy settlement of the strike held out Yesterday Lave not not been fulfilled, but the situation is better to the extent that the executive of the principal railway union, 'the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, after negotiations with Mr. Massey, lias declared the strike off, and that an agreement has been reached also with the iirst division men, who sym-pa-tliised strongly with the strikers. The only obstacle to a complete settlement is the failure of tlie locomotive men and Mr. Masscy to agree on one point. 'What tliat point is lias not been stated at the time of writing, but tlie Prime Minister tan hardly keep the public in ignorance much longer. It is standing in the way of the settlement of a trouble that strikes at the life of tlie community, and

I the people, therefore, have a right to know what it is. In the meantime, the public will be inclined to judge by the speedy settlement with the other two bodies of railwnyuien, that the locomotive men rather than llr. Massey are in the wrong. The terms offered to the ! Amalgamated Society are similar to |those offered to the Association, and ! people will naturally 114k why what is !acceptable -to one body of strikers slypuid Ihe unacceptable to the other. The situa--1 tion is now complicated by a definite .breach "between the two unions. Not I only has-the A.S.R-S. declared 'the strike I off, but communications tliat passed 'between tho unions before the settlement : slniw that in snite of the fact that they I combined to force the band of the Government, bad feeling existed "between ithem. Yesterday the apparent solidarity of the whole "service was a feature of 'the strike; now it is revealed tbat the locomotive men were declining co-opera-tion in settling the. strike, and were resolved to go their own way. Under the circumstances the A.S.R.S. acted wisely in negotiating for a separate settlement, and it is important to note tbnt the ! powerful Transport Workers' Advisory Board has supported them in their action. It is true that one is still in the dark as to the point of difference between the locomotive men and Mr. Mas. ey, but appearances nre against the men,, who seem to he trying to carry ■things with too high and independent a hand. 'Tliev have had the sympathy of the public in respect to their grievances, but tjiev will quickly lose this if in a spirit of unreasonableness they block a settlement. The Government seems to have met the men fairly, and the men ought to reciprocate.