Grey River Argus. and Blackball News THE RAILWAYMAN'S DISPUTE SETTLED.

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1920, Page 4

Grey River Argus. and Blackball News

THE RAILWAYMAN'S DISPUTE SETTLED.

Bclivfli-.-rt erory. lnomiuR 1 in Grcyuiont.li, Kmniirii, Hukitikti, ]>obsoii, W;iUsctnl, T:iylorville, Croniidill), Nffiiht'i-e, Uluckbiih, NHson Creek, Brumicr, Te Jiinirhu, Jl<)loi:i;iiiu, I'oeriiii, Inchlioniiie, Patara, Byvu, Aui'.imln, Kotuku, Moans:, Aratikn, Bmuniira, Dunollic, CViMcu, Baxter';?, Kokiri, Aluiura, Lks.' usax.ua., Sliihvuter. Waiuta., and Eoefiou.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1920.

IT will bo "earned with a good deal of s-'Uisf. Motion throughout the Dominion thai, the settlement of the dispute between tJn. Railwaymen and the Government;, which has been delayed for about a year, has ai l ;i st been roacho«.l. Jt i s evident ihat the Government has suddenly either seen * the error of ifc.s previous stand, or lias phivc-d it JlO xt card, at wha.t if perceived to be the psychological moment, with a successful result. The settlement is stated briefly to mean a rise of a couple of shillings a day, or one of a shilling- on lha.{. suggested by Judge Stringer. The least that can be said is t] m t the Government are lucky to secure a settlement so cheaply. Their stand throughout the dispute h a s left the Dominion in danger of a great industrial upheaval. The Govern meat seemed t 0 be sparring for time aJj along in their negotiations with the ruilwayluen. over the quc-iHms of wages and conditions. it seems Jiow' to have been a determination to maintain such an afcti;udo that disposed the Government to place the case in Uie hands of Justice Stringer. Likewise it was evidently the of the men not to budge from the posi- ■ iou they originally took up when they decided iv. default of any hopeful prospect of redress otherwise, to hold a strike ballot. The apologists for the Government were trying to make out that the last word aimst necessarily be that of Justice Stringer. This is the first time they have advanced that argument, whether or n o t they had it ready in advance, and they go so far as to argue a'eo that any further investigation into the grounds of the grievances of the railwaymen must necessarily prove Justice Stringer to be right, or else must prove a faulty investigation. It was contended that no tribunal can possibly be abler than the learned Judge to get to the truth; of the matter. This is a, negation of the first principle of arbitration, which does not specify that the arbitrator shall be appointed by one side and his verdict be accepted by the other side, but does dictate that arbitrators shall equally represent all parties to a dispute. In this case, however, the rail-way-men are justified if they hold the tatjvc of the Government rather than

of the men. In fact, they dec'ared his decision proves it. Judge Stringer in his report made oui a case for an increase, but recommended an increase so insignificant that the real extent: of the increase ir; the cos*, of living was ignored; Behind this report the Government sheltered, despite the fact that Mr Massey a few weeks ago gave his imprimatur to a set" lenient in t ne coa l miners' case ;hat virtually recognised every contention of the railwaymen to be right. The miners gained a 60 per cent wage increase on pre-war rates, yet, the railwaymen were asked to accept a rise of 40 per cent as sufficient. Up till now 12s. a (Jay has beea the railwaymen's basic wage, as compared with 18s. iv the miners' case. Now at 14s. it is nob very high, but sufficiently so. evidently s to satisfy all the workers concerned. We 'believe that in the event of the reported settlement proving a fact boUi the. A.S.R.S. and Loco ineii will agree to abide by the arrangement. There is no doubt a strike" was imminent twenty-four hours agoThe- Loco men were determined to carry out the decision of the ballot at which a large mapority of them voted for a strike in the event of no settlement being reached. Had the Loco men come out, it is certain that the A.S.R.S. would have been' involved, since it would be otherwise a case of ;heir having to work with strike breakers. This is an illustration of the value of Labour solidarity, for it is more than probable the Goveinmen conceded 2s. a day wiUi an c.Ye to likelihood of the Loco men striking and embroiling the A.S.R.S. The settlement disproves the contention ;he Government press sought to establish that Justice Stringer's report j must be considered the last word o' ; the subject. Tho credit for the settlement is due primarily to the workers for unit-ing to secure justice, a»d the Mincer of Railways (Mr. MassejO is no doubt entitled to some share also, because he has shown a degree of wisdom in avoiding the more seriou* trouble that the Department's previous atvitude wt^s making inevitable.