THE RAILWAY STRIKE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18220, 7 October 1919, Page 6

THE RAILWAY STRIKE.

Tub settlement of the British railway strike ends a period of national crisis which has lasted for eight days, and which has demonstrated pretty conclusively that Labour is not strong enough to successfully challenge the State to a fight to a Apish, at any rate in Britain. Wo have not heard the whole story yqt, but it is evident that miracles of emergency organisation wero accomplished by the Government, and that the Government had, in its efforts to maintain essential transport facilities, tho goodwill and 00-operation of a very much larger portion of the community than that which, is enrolled in tho army of organised Labour. In the endeavour to inflict grievous hardship and suffering on the community at largo tho railwaymen were thwarted firstly by the refusal of tho community and its exceptionally able leaders to sit down and suffer, and secondly by the marked disinclination of the leaders of other sections of organised labour to allow tho railwaymen to plunge the nation into tho abyss of a general strike until all means of compromise and conciliation had been exhausted. The crodit for tho settlement, we think, must be shared by tho Cabinet, and tho general community on tho ono hand, for their successful mitigation of the evils of a dangerous situation, and on the other hand by those moderate Labour leaders who strove so earnestly and so successfully to compose the differences of the strikers and the Government. The arrived at, so far as can he judged by what has been cabled on the subject, involves a considerable concession to- the workers, but no surrender of principle on the part of tho Government. Tho National Union of Railwaymen claimed for the lowest grade of adult employees a minimum rate of 60s per week, as compared with a minimum rate of 61s then ruling. Tho Government offer amounted practically to a promise to maintain the 61s minimum till the end of the year, with a reduction thereafter if at any time tho cost of living, during a period of three months, remained lower than a 110 per cent advance on the pre-war standard. By the terms of tho settlement the Government extends tho period during which the 51s minimum is to bo maintained till the end of September next, or twelve months from tho date of tho strike, with a provision for gradual reduction thereafter should the oost of living fall below tho 110 per cent advance on the prewar standard. In the meantime negotiations are to continuo for the stabilisation of wages in the various grades. Without assuming any intimate knowledge of the conditions, the figures available enable ono to arrive at the conclusion that the railwayman of tho lowest grade has obtainod a very considerable improvement on his pre-war position. Before the war the minimum weekly pay for tho adult railway worker was 18s. At the time the present wage was fixed the cost if living -had risen 125 per cent, and a commensurate increase in pay would have brought a wage of 40s 6d per week. But tho minimum rate is 51s, so that to compensate for a 125 per cent rise in the cost of living tho lowest-grado railwayman has received over 180 per cent rise in wages. The pre-war rates of pay were undoubtedly, iis Mr Lloyd George has declared, “ disgracefully low,” and even the present minimum of 51s would represent only 22s 8d per week before the war It has to bo remembered, however, tha: the oost of living in Britain beforo the war was very much lower than in Now Zealand, a fact which seems to be lost sight of on occasion when comparisons are being mado between the rise in the cost of living in various’ countries. If the cost of living in Britain before tho war were 60 per cent lower than tho oost of living in New Zealand, which is not overstating the fact, then an advance in prices which would mean a 125 per cent increase in Britain would mean only a 62J per cent increase in New Zealand. The British railwayman, having received tho economic equivalent of a 25 per cent ruse in wages, iB to that extent better off than before the war, and the increase is not inconsiderable. Further than that, Mr Lloyd George has given his pledge that even should the cost of living fall to the pre-war level, no railwayman will got less than twice his pre-war wagp, so that if tho cost of living does fall tho British railwayman will be better off than ever. Tho settlement is one that does credit both to the head and heart of Mr Lloyd George. He has discharged his duty to the people of Britain, and at tho same time has managed to maintain an open mind, even in tho thick of a rather desperate situation, in regard to the abstract merits of tho railwaymen’s case. Ho has done what perhaps no

other British statesman could havo accomplished, for he has beaten the strike without incurring the enmity of the strikers. There are occasions when Mr Lloyd George puzzles bis friends and gives weapons into the hands of his enemies, but he can always rise to the great crisis and seize the great opportunity.

In his attempt to defend the Government’s land settlement policy last Friday night tho Hon Major Mine denied that land was being purchased at excessive values, and he endeavoured to persuade tho House that tho discharged soldiers were quite satisfied. The soldiers were not fools, he said; they knew tho value of land. Very well. The following is from a report in tho “ New Zealand Herald” of a meeting of the oxecutivo of tho Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association last week: —

Mr R. Mason said ho considered tho association should adopt a definite policy ill regard to tho settlement of soldiers on tho land.

Mr W. Pollock agreed. Ho disapproved the purchase of estates by the Government while there was so much native land available. Tho scheme brought down at the last conference was too technical. He had inspected several of the estates in the North which had been bought by the Government, and in his opinion too high a price had been paid for all of them.

Hero is the opinion of a returned soldier, after inspecting several of the estates purchased, that in every case tho Government paid too much. And Major Hino says tho soldiers know.

In the hurly-burly of war there has not been time or inclination on the part of tho War Office to consider nice points of precedence in rank between tho various services, but now that the war is over tho question of tho status of the Air Force has received attention, and an official set of titles for the various ranks has been adapted. It is interesting to note that it follows the naval rather than the military nomenclature, and that liko tho Navy, its officers havo sonioiity over military officers of the same tit-10. Aa everybody knows, a naval captain is rated as equal to a colonel, while a naval lieutenant is equal to an army captain. Tho following table shows the correlation between ranks in the three services:—

It will be noted that all officers whose titles have the prefix “ Air ” are considered equivalent to officers of Hie military General rank and to Flag Officers of the Royal Navy. The King is tho nominal head, of the Air Force, as of the Army and Navy, his now title being “Chief of the Royal Air Force.”

As we anticipated, the amendments made to the Women’s Parliamentary Rights Bill by the Legislative Council have proved unacceptable to the Government, which is now going through the time-honoured procedure necessary in the case of a quarrel between tho two Chambers. The House will not accept tho Bill as altered by the Council, and the Council, unless stern measures are taken to make it ohange As mind, will not accept tho Bill las the House has moulded it. In tho resultant deadlock tho Bill may be expected to drop silently and unostentatiously into oblivion. There are more ways of killing a cat than by choking it with butter, and there are more ways of killing a Bill than by voting against it. We shall not bo surprised if Mr Massey accepts this reverse with patient resignation, and perhaps with a very subdued sigh of relief. Such on extremely advanced and democratic measure might alarm tho fino old crusted Tory vote which after all is the backbone of the Reform movement, and as things stand tho party can gel tho credit for paternity without having to carry tho baby, which is tho very essence of the higher politics.

Air Force. Navy. Army. M’shal of Air A dm’1 of Fit Field-M'shal Air Chief JM'shal Admiral General Air Marshal Vico-Adm'l Lieut.-Gen. Air Vice-M'shal Roar-Adm'l Major-G en. Air Com’dore Commodoro Brig.-Gen. Group Capt. Captain Co ! onol WingCom’der Commander Lt.-Coloncl Squadron Ldr. Lt.-Com’der Major f‘'lt.-Lieut. Lieutenant Captain Flying Officer (or observer) Sub-Lieut. Lieutenant Pilot Officer Midshipm’n 2nd Lieut..