RAILWAY STRIKE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 November 1924, Page 5

RAILWAY STRIKE

BALLOT QUESTIONED. MEMBER’S CHALLENGE, TO A.S.R.S. EXECUTIVE. (By Telegraph.—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 7. Questious connected with the railway strike are revived by Mr. Veitck (mem. her for Wanganui), as a result of the resolution of the j\ apier branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railwaymen repudiating his statement that the executive of the society did not exhaust all other means of settling the trouble before striking. Mr. Veitch. informed the Star reporter that he had no personal feeling against the executive, but he had considerable concern for the welfare of the organisation which had been fought for by railwaymen years before the present executive was heard of. He made no apology for offering railwaymen advice, but it was his duty as an old railway unionist to give them the benefit of his experience. “I am satisfied,” added Mr. Veitch, “that nothing like 82 per cent, of the men voted for the strike, as the Napier resolution alleges, and as for my suggestion that all other means were not exhausted to avoid the strike, the mention of two dates will prove my contention. Will the' society’s executive deny that they had decided to take a strike ballot on February 6, 1924. which was several weeks before they even presented their demands to the Minister, and is it not a matter of history that they broke away from the subsequent conference, thus putting the railwaymen offside with the public.