PROBLEMS AFTER STRIKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19328, 15 May 1926, Page 11

PROBLEMS AFTER STRIKE.

TASK FOR GOVERNMENT.

PRIME MINISTER'S EFFORTS.

NO ATTACK ON THE UNIONS. BRINGING PARTIES TOGETHER. By Telegraph—Press Associati6n —Copyright. (Received 9.15 p.m.) A. and N.Z. ' LONDON, May 13. The House of Commons was crowded to-night when the industrial situation was discussed. On a motion for the adjournment, Mr. Ramsey Mac Donald, Leader of the Labour Party, insisted that the strike which terminated yesterday was an industrial strike, begun, rightly or wrongly, with the sole idea of supporting the miners. Thoso responsible for declaring and conducting the strike had been satisfied to declare peace. Nobody knew better than the Prime Minister, Mr. Baldwin, the courage required and the risks run by those calling off the strike. It was the right step, which ought to draw from every section of the community determination to make the step effective.

When peace came and the fight was over the first thing the commandants on both sides did was to shake hands. That had not happened to-day. That had not happened in regard to the conditions imposed on the men returning to work. Was this meant by Mr.. Baldwin's appeal yesterday ? He was informed that more men were out now than yesterday, not because they wanted to hold up the community, but because the conditions the employers were imposing made industrial conditions impossible. Opportunity lor Betterment. He asked the trades concerned whether advantage could not be taken of the calling oft of the general strike in order to establish good relations on a broader and firmer foundation than had existed for a good many years. • Let there be no mistake: If there was any attempt to smash up trade unionism, if any section of the community or any foolish person in the community thought, after recent events, that they could scrape the face of trade unionism in the dust, they would be very much mistaken.

"We do not want guerilla warfare to go on," he added. "We want all resentment. left behind. If this warfare is to be avoided it must be by treating the men as independent, self-respecting workers. We are not going to be treated as human beings with a yoke of absolute subordination rivetted to our necks. If it is meant to crush us, let us know. Let the House of Commons, in the first place, make the declaration that it wanted no crushing and no humiliation."

The Prime Minister, Mr. Balwin, said: "I think it is right to immediately review the difficult situation existing to-day. I never expected, whatever the end and however it came, that the upset could straighten itself. I always felt that the days after the calling off of tho strike would be the most difficult through which we must pass. Reaction After Strain.

"Though the people's behaviour as a whole has been most admirable there has been a strain, and when it is suddenly removed the reaction is necessarily heavy. We saw the same thing on an infinitely greater scale at the end of the war. I am sure Mr. Llovd George will admit that the problems with which he was confronted during tho first few months of peace were far more difficult than those met during the war.

"The country's supreme and obvious interest requires that the largest possiblo body of men be brought back at the earliest moment. I take that as the starting point and repeat that the occasion calls for neither malice, nor recrimination, nor triumph. Our duty is to escape as soon as possible from the consequences of this unhappy controversy. The less we talk about it at present the better. "There is a real difficulty which must be put plainly before the House in a completely unprovocative way. Whatever were the intentions of the declarers of the general strike, if their efforts had been successful it would have meant the complete cessation of tho press and transport. Supposing any Government had been completely unpropared for the crisis, what would have happened ? None can tell. Had the Government been unprepared there would have been a condition of anarchy. Dangerous Propaganda. "Under those circumstances no Government could have declined to take up the duties of providing national services. These were maintained partly by men not striking and partly from volunteers from the large majority of the nation not directly concerned in the strike. I have given only one pledge—that those who helped the Government should not suffer for that reason. I hope my word will always stand for something in England. If I went back on that pledge who would trust me again ?

"There is a real difficulty in reconciling a pledge of that kind with the taking back of all men to work. The problem must be thrashed out between the unions and the Employers' Associations. The situation calls for real statesmanship. I feel that any prolonged discussion, whero full and accurate information is not always available and whero a sense of responsibility may be lacking, would likely hamper those beginning delicate and difficult negotiations.

"Unfortunately there has been a great deal of propaganda on both sides. Personally, I have an instinctive dislike for propaganda, particularly that stating that an attack on the wages of ra.ihvaymen is pending. What I want to say is that I will countenance no attempt on the part of any employer to use the present occasion for trying in any way to get a reduction in wages on those in force before the strike or an increase in the hours of work. Trade Disorganised. "It must be remembered that we could not have a general hold-up of the business of the country even for a week or a fortnight without dislocating and deranging the trade of the country. I have no knowledge of the extent to which this has happened, but foreign contracts have been cancelled and there will be an entire cessation or great timidity in placing fresh orders. "I recognise the peculiar responsibility that attaches to me because of the message broadcasted on the first day of the strike. I-stand by every word of that message. Last night I learnt that a large group of employers were unwilling to meet the anion concerned, but I am glad to say

on authority that they have now consented to do. >vhat was asked and a meeting has been arranged for to-morrow. Another body of employers had an agreement with their men which was broken. Their first idea was that less favourable terms must be negotiated if they were going to take the men back. I am glad to hear that they have decided not to alter the conditions of employment. "The railway companies have a most difficult task because the fear of unemployment for a time must be considerable owing to; the decline in work. I warn the House not to accept all the stories flying about the lobbies. They do nothing but harm. « Thus jfc was stated that the railways • were proposing to take the opportunity of reducing wages and to take back the men as new entrants, thus receiving lower wages as well as losing the benefits of their seniority. I telephoned and found that the rumours were without foundation. The same rumour about the London General Omnibus Company is contradicted by responsible people. The Employers' Associations and the unions are now meeting. Let us do nothing to hamper their efforts." Mr. Mac Donald expressed the hope that there would be no attack 011 trade unions as such.

Mr. Baldwin: I cannot imagine that thero will be such an attack. I shall not countenance such an attack. There must (human nature being what :s it) for a few days be some soreness and a certain difficulty in recovering a friendly spirit in negotiations. Let all try to avoid this soreness. There could be no greater disaster than anarchy in the trade union world. A Helpful Spirit. "It is impossible for our highly-organ-ised and highly-developed system of industry to carry on unless there aro organisations which can speak for and bind both parties, otherwise there would be sporadic outbreaks," continued Mr. Baldwin. One of the dangers if the present situation lasts is that such organisations will lose their power. The government has no power to coerce, but the whole of our influence is being exercised and will be exercised in the letter and spirit of what I stated by broadcast 01* otherwise during the last ten days." Mr. J. H. Thomas, Labour, said the spirit behind the Prime Ministers speech would be helpful. A big thing was done by the Council of the Trades Union Congress when it called off the strike, which four million men and women answered because they believed they were helping the miners. The Prime Minister met the Trades Union Congress in the manner all expected, but when the Labour leaders saw the British Gazette this morning they were sore at "the total surrender, and so on, that was hurled at two million men who refused to surrender to the Germans.

Mr. Thomas added: "You can imagine the bitterness that followed when the leaders arrived at their office first thing and found the Government themselves not carrying out the Prime Minister s desire. An Admiralty order said that established men who had been on strike were to be suspended until further notice. How could that be squared with the Prime Minister's speech ?" Mr. Thomas then road a War Office notice calling attention to the regulations that discharges due to a worker's default involved the forfeiture of all previous service. Was that a spirit of goodwill? Sir L. Worthington Evans/ Secretary of State for War: "What is the date?" Mr. Thomas: "May 10. Does that mean the notice is withdrawn?"

Sir L. Worthington Evans: "No."

Mr. Thomas: "Then I ask the Prime Minister why not." Ho concluded by asking every member of the House to substantiate the plea of the Prime Minister, with which he heartily associated himself and endorsed. Rapid Settlement Wanted.

Mr Lloyd George said ho thought every quarter of the House desired to respond to Mr. Baldwin's appeal. He said: "Let us get tho waters calm as soon as wo can lest our work spoil tho work of half a century."

lie specially welcomed Mr. Baldwin s assurance that ho would not countenance any attacks on trado unions as a result of what had happened, and he welcomed Mr. Baldwin's assurance that he deprecated any attempt by employers to take advantage of the present opportunity to reduce wages, increaso hours or secure conditions in any way worse than those existing before the strike. Employers after the strike were bound to stand by the men who stood by them, but employers could make it plain that they were not engaging in vindictive operations.

The country wanted peace as quickly as possible. Mr. Baldwin, with great courage and sanity, had indicated the path to peace. The miners' question was still unsettled, arid until a million miners returned to work another million and ahalf or two million workers would be thrown out and industry would he paralysed. Ho trusted the appeal to employers and unions to work for peace in tho spirit of goodwill and co-opera-tion would bave not only the good effect of restarting industry, but also of the introduction of a new temper after re-

starting. Tho motion for the adjournment was then withdrawn and other subjects were discussed. SPIRIT OF GOODWILL. APPEAL MADE BY CHURCH. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 13 Tho Archbishop of Canterbury has issued a special appeal, in which ho endorses whole-heartedly Mr. Baldwin's wish. He trusts that the negotiations will be resumed in a spirit of co-opera-tion and goodwill, displaying the same brotherhood and good temper so strikingly apparent during the last anxious days. LHVY FOR STRIKERS. DEPARTMENTAL AFFAIR. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 13. 11l the House of Commons, Colonel G. B. Hurst (Conservative) asked whether the Ministry was aware that three officers of the Taxation Department had circularised their ' colleagues urging a levy in support of the strikers. Mr. Ronald McNeill, Financial Secretary for the Treasury, said the matter raised serious issues which were engaging the attention of Cabinet.