LABOUR AND THE RAILWAY STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 178, 22 April 1924, Page 8

LABOUR AND THE RAILWAY STRIKE

SUGGESTED SUMMONING OF PARLIAMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, April 21. Mr. H. Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, who is is in Dunedin for the Labour Conference, sent the following telegram to ihe Prime Minister, signed by seventeen members of Parliament:— “We desire to make the strongest possible representations in favour of Parliament being called together immediately to deal with the critical situation which has arisen in the railway service. Die proposal to extend the hours of labour in the service is of Dominion-wide import, as it must eventually adversely affect not only the railway workers but also largo numbers in other industries working the 44-hour week. Further, the fact that many railwaymen cannot maintain their wives and children on present salaries is an evil which Parliament should have the opportunity of redressing.” At .the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party this morning the following resolutions were pased:—“That a telegram be sent to the Prime Minister demanding that Parliament be called to consider the railway and Public Service crisis.” “Diat a telegram be sent to the A.S.R.S. assuring it of the fullest support of the Labour Party in its demands for a living wage and retention of the present hours of labour.” Wnjj MEET AT PROPER TIME. On Thursday the Christchurch Labour members of Parliament telegraphed asking the Prime Minister to convene Parliament in order to bring about a settlement of the impending railway strike. Tho following telegram was received by Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P., who is in Dunedin attending tho Labour conference, yesterday, from the Prime Minister:—

“Replying to your telegram of Thursday, signed by yourself and other members of Parliament, respecting settlement of the present dispute, His Excellency will be requested to convene Parliament at ihe proper time, and I am confident, paraphrasing your own words, that the Government will bo able to settle this difficulty with “justice to all and satisfaction to the great bulk of the population.” The following telegram was forwarded to the Prime Minister bv Mr. H. E. Holland, on behalf of tho Parliamentary Labour Party to-day:—“ln view of the still mor© serious aspects of the trouble in the. railway service as revealed in to-day’s Press news, we again urge that Parliament should immediately be given the responsibility of dealing with the matter before tire trouble has been allowed to go further.”