THE VICTORIAN RAILWAY STRIKE.

Evening Star, Issue 11893, 22 May 1903, Page 3

THE VICTORIAN RAILWAY STRIKE.

A COMPLETE FIASCO,

UXCONDITinXAL SURRENDER OF ■- THE MEN.

[Fkoii Our Special Cobbesfosdeot.]

SYDNEY, Saturday, May 16. By telegTaph your readers will have been made fairly well acquainted with the main incidents of the great railway strike which has existed iu Victoria during the past iveek, so I shall only deal with it in general terms. The details of the struggle on the part of the Government to keep the trains going are not particularly interesting to took back upon. When the drivers simultaneously deserted their engines the Rail-■ft-ay Department was without doubt in an awkward fix to continue a service of trains even on the most attenuated scale, but it succeeded, to the intense chagrin of the unionisits. The attempts which were at first made to- intimidate men on their way to the North Melbourne sheds, to get the work which was so freely offering, were speedily suppressed, and the tricks played with the permanent way to prevent the wheels going round were of a harmless character. Nevertheless,, no risks were taken by despatching trains at night, and the locomotives were run safely, though in many cases much behind time. The mail icrvices from Sydney and Adelaide to Melbourne were quite upset. The dislocation »f ordinary goods traffic inflicted enormous Injury, many people being thrown out of Employment in various trades. The inconvenience suffered by Melbourne residents ras considerable, and the business of the metropolis languished to such an extent that many houses closed early throughout the strike, and at night the city had so few visitors that one of the theatres had to close, while other places of entertainment had but meagre audiences. Daily, however, the supply of engine-drivers was growing, more trains were being run, and when it was found that some of the unionists were preparing to go back to work before it was too late the leaders began to realise that their effort was doomed to failure. In Parliament they got no support, apart from a few blatant Trades Hall igitators, and the drastic terms of the Strike Suppression Bill unflinchingly insisted on by the Premier (Mr Irvine) fairly rtaegered them. Nothing more Draconic could well have been devised. It left no loophole unguarded. From the moment its provisions, even in a considerably modiSed form, became law, the organisation igainst the Radway Department must be :ompletely crushed. It was seen that Parliament was in no paltering mood, that the Bill wou'd be passed, and then it would >e only a question of time when the whole of the engines would be available, as before the strike, with non-unionists to drive them. When in the midst of the discussion on the measure a committee of the Assembly made advances to the strike leaders, they were quite ready for a friendly conference, and little difficulty was experienced in convincing them that there was nothing for it but an unconditional surrender on the part of. the men. The Premier was communicated with, and to the satisfaction of members he was able to announce to the Assembly yesterday that the strike was at an end. The drastic Suppression Bill has been put on one side, but the Cabinet will have to consider whether its principles will not have to be embodied in the statute law of the country to prevent any similar contingency arising in the future.

It was a moment of great triumph when Mr Irvine rose in the House to make his announcement, but there was no trace of exaltation in the important statement he had to make. He showed the good form which is his invariable habit in the speech he made. He expressed regret that the strike should mean distress and misfortune to those who had been the misguided participants, and he made it quite clear that the Government must be left to exercise Iheir unfettered discretion in regard to the re-employment of the unionists. This is the exact statement he placed before the Btrike leaders before accepting their surrender :

"It is not the intention of the Government to permit all the strikers who are willing to do bo to resume duty. In the first place, the men who have come to the assistance of the State from outside have done so under a most distinct promise that they will obtain permanent employment if found suitable, and that their claims will be paramount as far as positions for which they are found to be fitted are concerned to those of strikers returning to duty. We have now 211 men actually engaged nnder such conditions.

"Moreover, it is not intended to bring the service at the present time up to thing like the full conditions of running which prevailed immediately before the strike. It is thought that considerable permanent economies can be effected in the running staff without materially affecting the efficiency or revenues of the railway service, and we think it desirable that the service should not be raised above a comparatively low standard, at any rate until Mr Tait (the new Commissioner from Canada) and his colleagues have had an opportunity of going into the whole matter. For this reason also, as well as to recognise the claims of the men who have been engaged outside, it would be impossible, even if we were willing to do so, to readmit more than e certain proportion of the men who have gone out on strike. " Discrimination will be exercised between those who will be allowed to resume duty and those who will not Those who have either been over-active in organising the strike, or who have taken part in any acts of intimidation which have since taken place, as well as those w„ho have been guilty of any offences such as leaving trains on the lines or between the points, will receive no consideration. "But it is the desire of the Government to hold the door of repentance open for those who have been coerced or cajoled against their better judgment into striking;" From the unionist viewpoint it has had to be acknowledged that the strike was a complete fiasco. The main reason was that the force of public opinion to back it up was utterly wanting. Outside prejudiced nnions, the great preponderance of feeling throughout Australia was that the men had not sufficient justification for attempting to plunge the State, if not the CoramonweAlth. into a position of enormous difficulty and peril. For a week the people had to put up with a train service which was of little practical utility, but they gladly made the best of it, and from ill parts came resolutions to strengthen the hands of the Government. The general public' have an aversion to strikes on prinaple, and generally urge the shortest method of settlement when the shoe of ineonvenience begins to pinch. The strikers (evidently judging themselves to be absoutely indispensable) calculated that there would be complete paralysis of the railway system—that after a few days the public would be foand crying out loudly for their accustomed facilities of transit at whatever cost. But, as events have proved, they wofully mistook the temper of the people. A strike in connection with a private industrial enterprise is one thing, but i strike which means placing the State in financial jeopardy, flouting the Government, and subordinating it to the irresponsible class domination of the Trades Hall is quite another matter. With a determination that has been rather an eye-opener to trades unionists generally, Victorians put down a solid foot atrainst'anv concession being made to the rebellious "servants. Engine-drivers turned up from unexpected quarters, the University engineering profesior and students even offering their services, and to the consternation of the »trikers "the week were kept going round." Other sections of the railway men had decided not to foolishly jeopardise their situations by such rath and ill-considered action as that of the engine-drivers, preferring to have a lecal quibble relegated to the law courts for decis-ion.

This brings me to the immediate cause Df the strike. In this connection it mav be said that a situation has been created elmo.-t worthy of comic opera. It has been given out that the men .stopped work Because they 'declined to carry out in order which was illegal—th;it was to tever their connection with the Trades Hall. B»* their action was precipitated by the

fear that Parliament would meet and make the order legal. They wanted to strike while they had a chance on what they esteemed a good solid legal basis. They did not like to lose their opportunity. Surely this rounds a little bit too ridiculous. If the men had legitimate grievances which they desired remedied in a constitutional manner, Parliament, as representing the will of the majority, was the tribunal they should have hastened to. But it is explained that they distrusted Parliament. They did not think a Parliament fre<h from the ballot boxes would do the correct thing—that is, what would exactly suit the.ro. .So they preferred to institute, without delay a period of revolt and terrorism, during which they might compel compliance with their demands.

The original cause of disaffection was the 4 per cent, reduction the Government decided to make on all wages above £125 a year (with £IOO exemption), the withdrawal of privileges in regard to passes and annual leave, reduced time, and separate representation in Parliament; but on these grievances they did not strike. They deliberately chose to make the issue whether thev were to remain affiliated with the Trade's Hall, a stromrlv poHtiml organ-lsation, with which they had no right to associate. They were a.sked -by Mr Irvine as a preliminary to forsake the Trades Hall, when their reallv practical grievances would be dulv investigated but theysteadfastlv declined to take his advice, clinging vainly to a standpoint which was clearly subversive of constitutional government, and thus assum-'d the weakest position possible in the eves of the public. Their sympathies friled entirely to grasp the crux 'of the situation, which w;vs whether majority rule and responsible government we're to give way to minority class interests and Trades Hall bumptiousness and tynnny. Australia is not. vet quite ripe for such Gilb rtian topsy-turvy-dom, which would inevitably lead to financial chaos. Tn condemnation of the strike the Press have been almost unanimous, and anyone but an empty-headed Trad s Hall unionist could see from the first the utter futility of the audacious attitude assumed. All the same, it is recognised that the cause of good government mi"ht have suffered had the difficulty bnn handled by a less competent Premier than Mr Irvine/ A common speculation has been: What would have been the outcome if the trouble Lad arisen in New South Wales, and it had fallen to the lot of St John See to deal with it? The possibilities make one shudoer. Probably for the time being railwav men would have been allowed to ride -..ugh shod over the rights and privileges of the rest of the community. A day o f reckoning would no doubt have ultimately come, when the people would have arisen 'in their wrath and swept the See Government and their Labor supporters nut of political ex st ence, but. to what sad straits would the country in the meantime have h-en reduced! Australian credit wo'-ld have gnncompletely, and bankruptcy- b'anklv stared the Commonwealth in the face. 'Such a view may seem exaggerated, but if is one that has been taken by many in spec l'.itineon the situation. Therefore laurels ar- Ire ly bestowed on Mr Irvine all round. It is recognised that a great occa-ion has produced a great man—a backboned statesman whose pluck and determination have caused a true democratic cause to be won. A severe lesson has been taught to rebeillo i"s Civil servants, who have b-en so pampered and coddled and clothed with privileges as to completely forget their dutv to the State. But it has been well merited. The strike leaders will suffer badly for their ill-con-ceived and rash conduct, but tlv.v richly deserve the bed of thorns thev have madfor themselves. Outside union circles not the slightest sympathy is felt for them They will probably go to South Africa or some other end of the earth, and Australia will be well rid of them.

~ Tn '^ e course of an interview just before the Victorian Parliament the Lender of the Federal Labor party, Mr J. C. Warson. M.H.R., expressed his regret that the strike had occurred, but contended that the men had been goaded into it. " First of all." he remarked. "Mr Bent accu-ed the men of loafing, and appointed inspectors or, as the men called them, spies—to supervise them. This took place, although the men were able to show through their foremen that_ they were rendering conscientious service. Then they were reduced in their wages. Then there was the refusal to grant them classification, although this had been promised by successive Treasurers and Commissioners. Again, the number of their working days was reduced from six to five per week, which amounted to a further reduction in wages, in addition to what they lost by the general retrenchment. It also meant that they had to do more work in the five days. The next step was to disfranchise them and give them special representation, which tliey very properly regard as putting them below the level of ordinary taxpayers. This is an outrage on democratic institutions. On top of all this came an order to sever their connection with the Trades Hall, and the men regard that in the light of the last straw. It seems to me a good deal of misapprehension exists as to the question of connection with the Trades Hall. Some people seem to think that the Trades Council there ordered the strike, or had fome hand in bringing about the dispute, but as a matter of fact the Trades Council in Melbourne is no more than is the Labor Council in Sydney. They have no power to order a strike, or to in any way coerce men who may be affiliated with them. Again, the people of Victoria returned the Irvine Government to carry out a, policy of retrenchment, including reduction of members of both Houses, and so on. but there was no mandate given in regard to affiliation or non-affiliation of Civil servants with the Trades Hall any more than any niandato was given f6r the Civil servants to be disfranchised and given special representation onlv. Upon these two points, about which tlie railway men are most excited. the Government got no instructions from the country at all, b'cause these two matters were never put before the country by the Government."