THE H.B. TRIBUNE. SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1912. THE RAILWAY MEN.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 79, 16 March 1912, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1912. THE RAILWAY MEN.

The recent conference of raiivay men held in Wellington appears to have been a gathering of considerable importance —important not alone to the railway servants, but tc the whole Dominion. At the present time the Amalgamated Society cf Railway Servants is an organisation having a separate existence from other labour organisations in the Dominion. The objects which are before the society are, in the main, identical with those of trades unions, viz., the' betterment of working conditions and increase of wages. Bitt so far the society has kept distinct from all ether unions and has refrained from touching politics. It is now desired that the railway servant:! should throw in th©r lot with other n< liticnl unions and assist in the militant political campaign cf Labour. It is hardly necessary tc einphasi.se the grave danger which, would follow such a course, and we hope the defiant attitude adopted by some misguided members c f the society will not be followed by the rank and file cf the railwaymen. The A.S.R.S. is now recognised by th? Government and comes hi no way into conflict with the regulations of the service. It concerns itself, practically r-’ieaking, with nothing beyond the matter which affect the ser vice and the particular interests of the members. Following this path the railway men have done good work, and although there may still remain sonic discontent, solid work stands to the credit >.i the society. It is now desire d that the society should throw in its lot with federated unions and become pu t c:’ n political machine. An “aching vc/d” is caused in Professor Mills’ unity scheme by the absence cf the 7000 employees, and he is making st’.'enu cus efforts to secure tliei’ - allegtancc. Mr. Miliar. Ministf r for Railway::, on the other hand, lias stated that if the men decide to join the Federation of Labour, or, in other words, become an integral part of the “scheme of unity,” the Railway Department would hat e to withdraw its rcecgniticn of the society. I nfortuntitelv there appeals ground to believe that a number of the men w,ll favour tlii:: proposal and trouble looms ahead. Wo have had a small sample cf what syndicalism will do in New Zealand, and may also learn valuable lessons from abroad. It is not difficult to realise that when affiliated to the Federation of Labour the members of the A.S.R.S. will be bound by the tyranny cf the strike mandate. If seme “gutty” is thrown cut cf a freezing works 0.an unpopular inspector reports a tram conductor, we may have the whole railway system of the Doimn-

ion paralysed. As a result incaleu able damage may be done to the m dustries of the country and hardship brought upon thousands of people. Since it has pleased latter day politicians to promote a wide extension of the State functions. he might, also make an effort to point a way put of the complexities which have arisen. The anuy of State servants is growing every rear ami if they arc permitted to thrown in their lot with the militant political trades unions Government authority must become a mere far< c. We are firmly convinced that the great bulk of responsible workers are as keenly opposed to strikes as the employers, but a big organisation such as is contemplated in New Zealand would ’exercise a tyranny before which the individual liberty of the worker would go down for ever and his new master would be the agitator. With such immense interests at stake it would be sheer madness of Governnicntjto permit the railway men to become subject to the rule of the federation. Government must be free to deal with its own servants through their own recognised channels of negotiation without being compelled to go cap in band to the Federation of Labour. Sonic delegates openly advocated the disregard of the Minister’s orders and advocated open defiance, but if Mr. Millar stands firm he can rely upon the great bulk of the people lending him their heart,v support. It must, of course, be understood that the men are net deprived of political rights. They have their votes and are free to exercise them how they please, but it is necessary that they should vote and work as railway men and not members of an organisation subject to cutside authority. If the Administration cannot keep its employees out of the ruck of syndicalism it had better reiare from business and the nominal functions c.f government from which it should never have departed.