THE GENERAL STRIKE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19836, 8 July 1926, Page 9

THE GENERAL STRIKE

ATTITUDE OF RAILWAYMEN. LIVELY TIME FOR MR THOMAS. VOTE OF CONFIDENCE CARRIED. CPreio AseDelation —By Telegraph-Copyright.) LONDON, July 6. According to the Daily Herald, Mr J ! H. Thomas had a very lively two hours’ private session at the Railwaymen’s Conference, arising out of his report, as general secretary, on the effects of the strike. No fewer than 80 delegates asked questions on the inner history of the strike. Mr Thomas emphatically denied thc.t a conference took place at Sir Abe Bailey’s house between himself, Mr A. J. Cook, Mr Herbert Smith, and Sir Herbert Samuel. After the questions there was a general debate on a motion endorsing the National Union of Railwaymen’s delegates’ action on the Trade Union Council, which was virtually a motion of -confidence in Mr Thomas. There was an amendment do ferring a decision till the miners resume!. The effect of the motion was to side-track the branch motions demanding Mr Thomas’s dismissal. Late this afternoon it was obvious ih.it Mr Thomas had carried the con fere.vie with him. There was no surprise whja the motion of confidence was agreed to with six dissentient votes. —A. and N.Z. Cable. (Received July 7, at 10 p.m.) Only six voted for Mr Thomas’s- dismissal from the General Secretaryship and the no-confidence motion was overwhelmingly rejected—Reuter. THE PRESS REPRESENTATIVES. REFUSAL TO ATTEND CONFERENCE. LONDON, July 6. The pressmen refused to attend the resumption of the Railway-men’s Conference to-day until the resolution concerning the press representatives was rescinded. Hie union replied that the conference would sit privately to-day, and that public business would bo resumed to-morrow, hut that the conference had not withdrawn or rescinded the resolution.—Reuter. INVITED TO RETURN. LONDON, July 7. (Received July 7, at 11 p.m.) Mr Thomas has sent a letter to the press representatives explaining that all could return to the conference without discrimination. The journalists decided to attend the public session to-morrow.— Reuter. FAILURE OF THE STRIKE. TRADES UNION COUNCIL’S REPORT. LONDON .July 6. (Received July 7, at 10.50 p.m.) “The sole reason for the termination of the general strike,” says the report of the Trades Union Council, ‘‘was the futility of its continuance in view of the miners’ attitude. The leaders must have known that the industry must be reorganised, and for that reason it was necessary to devise an alternative to standing by while thousands starved on a slogan, the adoption of which meant throwing out. of work 300,000 mine workers by closing the uneconomic mines. It was saner to allow a temporary reduction during reorganisation. The Council could not follow the policy of negation of the miners’ executive under which the splendid response of the sympathetic strike would have evaporated by means of attrition, brought the unions to bankruptcy, and undermined their morale. No organisation is entitled to claim such a sacrifice and the continuance of the strike was utterly unjustified.”—Sydney Sun Cable.