UNITY CONGRESS CONSTITUTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 584, 12 July 1913, Page 2

UNITY CONGRESS CONSTITUTION.

RAILWAY WORKERS ATTITUDE. OPPOSED TO EXTREMES. The president of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, Mr W. T. Wilson, of Palmerston North, explained to a pressman the reasonß why the excutive of the society, which represents eight thousand railway men, determined to have nothing more to do with the Unity Conference. Mr Wilaon'a statement suggests that a substantial number of moderate Labourites in the conference are graveiy dissatisfied with the manner in which the extremists in the matter of industrial action hava gained the control of the organisation. "We were in favour of moderate, not extreme, methods," said Mr Wilson, "and it was with a view to effecting a reconciliation between the extreme moderates on the one hand and the extreme section on the other that I and the general executive council of the society attended the conference. We found from the outset that the mere consideration of arbitration tactics would not be entertained. We found also, from the outset that it was etrike first, strike second, and strike ail the time, and while we were prepared ta compromise the throwing out of the amendment brought forward by Mr Hampton and Mr McLaren, providing that before a strike could tale place the people who were going to suffer by the process should be consulted we were satisfied there was no hope of compromise on reasonable lines. In view o? recent occurrences we consider that \ve were not justified in subscribing to so risky a system as was adopted by the conference in relation to striking. We have a vivid recollection, as railwaymen of the trouble, brought upon us in the maritime strike of IS9O, in which a number of railwaymen were involved. As a matter Gf fact, it is rot long since our society paid the last of the aum ox £ISOO to secure for those strikers the recognition of their full service for superanuation, their service before the strike —many years in length in some instance3 —having been lost to them. SOLE RELIANCE ON STRIKES. "The conference very early rejecced a motion that funds should be available from tfie organisation for political purposes. What did this indicate to us? Simply that sole reliance was to be placed on the strike. Men can Btrike for whatever purpose they like, but they must not run counter to the law of the land. OTHER DELEGATES DISSATISFIED. "While we regret having to withdraw," continued Mr Wilson, "we are thoroughly acquainted with the fact that a number ot other delegates have left for the same reason, and that a good many who remain are determined to go back and recommend their unions not to accept the constitution that has been carried. Realising that a moderate programme is not lilkely to be presented, knowing the feeling of our members We do not feel justified in remaining at the conference, wasting our time and the society's funds for no good purpose. A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. "According to our judgment," declared Mr Wilson, "it is Federation of Labour tactics all through. We would, as workers engaged in a great State undertaking, like the public to know that as railwaymen we recognise our responsibility to the State, that is to the community. We know that we are engaged in an industry upon which the commerce of the country and the food supply of the people depend, therefjre we are not willing to be party to the chance of a sudden disorganisation at the beck and call of a central executive."