THE RAILWAY STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 196, 14 May 1924, Page 8

THE RAILWAY STRIKE

Sir, —I did not read Mr. Holland’s report on tlie A.S.R.S. strike, but gleaned enough from the letter of the New Zealand AVelfare League and its comments thereto of the 6th inst. 1 would first like to put a few opinions of my own as to the causes that led up to the striiie and the time it occurred. First. —The long delay in coming to any reasonable conclusion over the matters in dispute. It does not matter who was to blame, for possibly there were faults on both sides, the fact remained that the dispute started away back in the early days of 1923. Second.—The Government and most of its supporters—of wlucli the New Zealand AVelfare League are of the stalwarts of the Conservative party, who are in power at present—have done nothing to help forward towards a settlement, but in many ways put the brake on when the work was nearing a conclusion, a method that must have won the full approval of tho New Zealand! Welfare League. The four things that the New Zealand Welfare League blame the A.S.R.S. for doing and the Labour Party in Parliament for supporting were perfectly legal and done in and under a perfectly legal manner and method, and while “the law is always an ass,” there it is.

Third. —The Government are contemplating an early election, and for their appeal to, the people, they wanted a slogan, one that would ring loud and sound well to people, who were suffering by the action of the people and party that they are most afraid of, and to take the unthinking and unanalytical value from the faults and commitments of the present Government. What could be better than a big strike in all ranks of labour from North Cape to the Bluff? A strike of the A.S.R.S. took place. The P. and T. Association was a possibility, also the R. 0.1. and E.D.F. and C. Association might be drawn, but Mr. Holland and his friends, with the assistance of Mr. T. Milford and many of his supnorters helped to get the A.S.R.S. to go back, much to the chagrin of the Government and the members of the New Zealand AV elf are League, who were m the know as to the strong political reasons why the sin-iking kink in Labour should be forced into a roaring furnace, and not only a little flame as it proved to be. Flow Masseyites must hare cursed the calling off of the strike and leaving them without the big bludgeon to take to the country before Christmas. How Holland and Wilford must have smiled! Just think of it Messrs. New Zealand Welfare Leaguers! Fourth. —As many of the Masseyites and New Zealand Welfare League are strong holders in the Limited Liability Companies who operate and control the Benzine and Motor Companies, also interested in road making material and machinery, cared nothing if the people of the country were inconvenienced and had to pay more for travelling and freights, so long as the companies in which they were inter- ■ ested were making big business, which would result in big dividends and cause more road material and road making machinery to repair the roads that their dividend making Juggernauts were destroying by the abnormal traffic created by the railway strike if it would only last long enougli. To sum up: “A big political cry was wanted.” Therefore, a- big strike would be acceptable- by the Conservatives and New Zealand Welfare League, and as it would be a money making game for Limited Liability Companies interested in benzine, motors and road making material and machinery, all of which would be paid for by the people, what could better suit, the Government and Ithe New Zealand Welfare Leaguers? Now, Sir. having trespassed so .much on your space, I wil] wait patiently for the Messrs. New Zealand Welfare Leaguers’ reply and sign, myself.—l am, etc., WA TCHER.” 'Wellington. Soutli, May 12, 1924.

[Our correspondent’s flight of imagination as to the Government forcing a railway strike for political purposes is completely answered by the fact that the Government in the first place gave the railway servants what they asked for, namely, a Wages Board to decide the question of the merits, of th© men’s claims. It wits tlie action of the railway servants themselves in breaking awav from this Board and threatening tlie Government with a strike, which threat was ultimately put into effect, that led to the trouble. The pretence that benzine dealers and motor companies had anything to do with the railway servants striking is unadulterated humbug.J