THE RAILWAY STRIKE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14043, 28 April 1920, Page 1

THE RAILWAY STRIKE.

WILL IT SPREAD? OMINOUS CONFERENCES. By Telegraph. (Special to the Oauiaru Mail.) • WELLINGTON, April 27. This evening, before the time actual ly fixed lor tin; commencement of tb lucomotive men's strike, it is difficul to say whether the movement will be come general throughout ihe raihva; seryiee, but the indications are omin ous, though there is no official state merit, available from the Amalgamate* .Society of Railway Servants, which ha; a membership of over 8000 second divi sion railwaymen. In view «of- the sud den development, the Society's Execu tive was summoned to meet in Welling ton on .Wednesday, though under , thi probable conditions of the.train servic* there may not be a, full meeting at th< appointed time. Another highly important conference was called immedi at«jjy the locomotive was announced. This was of -the Transport Workers' Advisory Board, with whicl the Amalgamated Society is affiliated. The Locomotive Men's it not nth hated with this body, stand that- the Wellington tramwaymeih Ju ld a conference to-day and undoubtv <-dlv in the'face of it-he-tense industriaj situation they will pjjt pressure on the City Council to grafit their demands. ' TILE AMALGAMATED VIEW. The question heard most among.raii- . waymen this aftes&*u was.' Wiu the! . Amalgamated Soc; n the locomoliiv Hirn :-' This in v £to be decided hy its Executive, ' (i it is difficult to say whether thi will be able to hold the men it ech if their decision is against a : W A ballot on this issue has bettft : taken, and the papers are in the Societ'-'-, head office in Wellington, .though t result is being kept a. profound secret. As to the general view- of this Society on the crisis its official organ, the Railway Review, published just before the locomotive strike was declared, has an interesting and a significant comment on Mr Ma«sey's final letter, whic-li was sent to three railway societies. It says: "The Prime Minister's reply is in strict accordance with the departmental attitude. All through' this dispute a furf ther attempt to push off the day when the Department will have to come to grips with the causei of discontent which are sapping the loyalty of ihe service and reducing it#, numbers by resignations ar the r„; • of over one hundred per month, i -n the . very inception of the Warf" IJoard movement therehas been noth h'lt- insincerity The Select Conimitt ch. suggested the Board believed : .he House believed that at- last a utinal was being provided to deal .ch the serious grievances, other than wages, w,hich the raliwaymen suffered, but the order of. reference, delayed in publication until the last moment, revealed that it was intended to with nothing but wages, and die pr>-nised representation of the lfien on "he tribunal was [ whittled downj as again proposed, (to tlie iioiiiinifl posit of advisory assessors. whose'advic :> far has -not been taken. To brin j a climax this long chapter of insinc- . • dealing by the Government and Rail..ay Department the A.S.R.S. has taken proper steps to have the dispute investigated under the Industrial Disputes Investigation. Act. The necessary notice has been served on the Minister of Railways by the General Secretary, and the tribunal, according - to the Act. is to consist of three representatives of rach party to the dispute, with an independent chairman which they will mutually agree upon. If the result of the tribunal is not satisfactory to the men the Secretary for labor shall take a secret bal?WwfVt;h« m'Wotr the subject,- and" if " this results unfavorably to the report, the men have completed legal preliminary steps to striking." A YEAR S WARNING.

As the locomotive men's executive hits indicated, the dispute is of long standing, and it has been in a critical stage of 12 months. This is 'proved by a report of a private interview which the Locomotive Association Executive which the Executive had with Sir Jas. Allen, then Actine-Prime Minister, on May 13 last year, when the President of the Association handed the Minister a written statement showing that the Association's members had balloted in favor of a strike. This statement concluded: "I have to advise you that the men have decided, by a majority of 05J per cent., to cease work until, their demands are given more gt-ner-ons treatment. As there are still other avenues through which a peaceful adjustment may be made, J desire, on behalf of the Executive Council, appeal to y<m to grant the use of a conciliator who would be acceptable to the organisation, and in that connection would mention either "Justice Stringer or .Justice Sim. I want to as-

sure you that we sincerely desire rha: the dispute shall be fixed up in an amicable way. which will he v satisfai--tory to both parties in the dispute.'' TU'K STRINGER INQUIRY.

At the hearing of the locomotive men's case before Mr Justice Stringer recently Mr Robert Carroll Was advisory assessor for the Association. In the course of an official report to the Executive, Mr Carroll mentions that •Ju.itice Stringer, in a conference with tin* assessors upon the conclusion of the case, stated that personally he recognised tlrpt the members of the

Locomotive Association were entitled to a substantial increase of wages upon' the evidence submitted. "1 might add." concludes Mr Cqrrall's state? uient, ''"that .Justice Stringer further said he recognised that the Engineers', Firemen's, and Cleaners' Association case was different from that of the other societies, in that it was asking for new schedule of wages, a nds-had not accepted the proposals previously submitted by the Department." NORTH ISLAND, LIMITATION.

Although the locomotive men in the North Inland have been the only meniI its <;i tilt- Association to .nf-eive permission to strik(>. tin.' officers of the Ascociation at headquarters express ;• belief that the South Island men will probably follow suit, "We cont'd not hold the North Island," they said, "and we may not hoid the South Is.'lniirk judging hv telegrams received.'' ! "A DISGRACEFUL STRIKE."

A strong condemnation of the proposed strike w:>* tt'U'fjraphed bv the I'remier to ibc Locomotive Association headquarters this aitornoiin, as follows: —"Your tnlc-gram received, contents of which I was very sorry to read.

j t.-iikt that even how wiser counsels innv pre mil, and that, at all events, while our Royal visitor is a guest of New Zealand, peace may prevail be-uvi-eii the raiiv.iivineii and the Suite.

Anything in the way of strike just now would be a disgrace to tJie honor of Now Zealand; more to those v.ho became responsible for it. The fair name of New Zealand is at stake. For thU, «s well as for other reasons. I appeal to your Society to refrain from vour contemplated action. The laiiwaViiieii of this country have had up to the present a well-earned reputation for-loyalty, and it will he a matter for extreme regret if that reputation were tarnished by the action of any section of railwaynien.—W. F..

Mnssev." To this Mr McArley. Secretary of the Loco Association, replied: "Impossible to hold the strike back without your

assistance," , . - Mr Massev on arrival at Rotoroa with the Prince of Wales, despatched a further app'eal at six o'clock to-night ns follows: —"Your telegram received. My assistance has so far not been asked for. You even declined to state your grievances to me on the occasion of my recent meeting with representatives of your Society, referring me, when-I asked what-your troubles were, to the evidence given before Judge Stringer's

iso-a>d. ol 'lnquiry. The responsibility [ forjwhab may happen is- yours, though . it: -Ir can prevent further trouble I shall he-.very. glad, to do anytMnenMssible.— : ''WcF. *■ 1 The Association's President and Secretary., telegraphed a reply as follows to the Minister of Railways, at Roto- . ma receivedj and m reply we", respectfully destre>- to remind you that to read the'evidence given by the Association before the. Board, and • which .was.. a. : very full statement of ours troubles: We expected you -to read, the evidence■ and. to 'go l iHto all the points . therein. However we appreciate your offer, and again repeat that.,we can do nothing further without your assistance." "i AUCKLAND EXPRESSES. It is /Understood - that the Auckland express due in. Wellington on Wednesday morning v will be, brought to. its destination, but passengers leaving Weln ight' s Auckland express would have to make their own transport .arrangements beyond Taihape, where there is a. change of :engine crews. ,