A PHASE OF THE STRIKE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 127, 25 November 1914, Page 6

A PHASE OF THE STRIKE

' Mr. Massey's meeting at Christchurch last night supports The Post's statement of yesterday : — "The Reds imagine, apparently, that the events of their own industrial warfare of last year will not be vividly remembered in these stirring times." When the Prime Minister remarked last night that he had suggested that "the whole matter should be referred to a Supreme Court Judge," a, sceptical person interjected : "You said nothing of the sort. ' The plain truth is that Mr. Massey presided at a conference of the parties' representatives on the evening of 28th October. One recommendation by Mr. Massey, accepted by the employers, was that "if 'the workers had any objections to the Arbitration Court his Honour Sir Joshua Williams should be aaked to act as arbitrator." Next morning (29th October) that proposal was submitted to a meeting of, strikers, and it was rejected in these words : "Respecting the position of the appointment of Sir Joshua Williams to be arbitrator, the men are of the opinion that there is nothing to arbitrate, except the one point whether the agreement shall be reinstated or otherwise." Alternative proposals, providing for monetary guarantees to ensure respect for the agreement which the strikers had deliberately broken, were also turned down by the striker* oa 20th October, thus :

"The men want the agreement reinstated without any guarantee as to cessation of work, especially in view of the agreement being a national one." The clause which the strikers had violated by their arbitrary «top-\vork meeting on 22ad October stated : "The essence of this agreement being that the work of the employers shall always proceed in the customary manner, and shall not on any account whatsoever be impeded, it Is agreed that if any dispute or difference shall arise between the par* ties it shall be refer* red to a committee, to be composed of three representatives of the union at the port concerned and three representatives of the employers. The decision of the majority shall be binding." When the document had been treated by the strikers as a negligible scrap of paper, the employers naturally desired something more binding on the workers than th« paper which their representatives had solemnly signed— that paper which tho strikers tossed on to the Syndicalist scrap-heap as if it was the merest trifle. But the strikers quibbled and found excuees for refusing to give guarantees to abide honourably in future by the eigned word. They believed they were strong enough to win on their own terms—complete surrender of the employers— and the "stop-workers" did not modify their preposterous demands till they began to have doubts about the soap-box shibboleth : "We must win." All these things are on record for any member of the public to see.