TO AVOID STRIKE

Southland Times, Issue 19223, 19 April 1924, Page 5

TO AVOID STRIKE

FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS SITUATION DELICATE BUT NOT HOPELESS INTERVENTION WANTED NOW ANOTHER TRIBUNAL SUGGESTED. (Per United Press Association). WELLINGTON, April 18. There is no change in the railway position. The. A.S.R.S. announce that they have not yet completed the count of the strike ballot and that they can throw no new light on the situation. The issues placed before the A.S.R.B. members are: I vote for a strike for increase in the wages. 1 vote against a strike for an increase in wages. Members who do not record their votes, will be deemed to have voted with the majority. It is regarded as certain that the proposal to strike will be carried, but it will rest with the Executive of the A.S.R.S. when the men are called out. If there is a possibility of further negotiations with the Government shortly the Society may refrain from precipitating a crisis until it is apparent there is nothing for it to do but fight. It is expected the majority of the locomotive men will follow the instructions of their Executive in regard to not ceasing work. Some might go out. In such a case, the loco men remaining will not perform any but their own duties. There is some talk of mediation being instituted. Mr M. J. Mack (General Secretary of the A.S.R.S.) emphasises the point that if there is to be mediation, now is the time to act. The Minister of Railways had a further conference with the President and Secretary of the A.S.R.S. on Thursday but afterwards stated that he had no further developments to report. IMPORTANT MOVE LOOKING FOR BASIS OF NEGOTIATION. ANOTHER TRIBUNAL SUGGESTED. SNTUATION DELICATE BUT NOT WITHOUT HOPE. WELLINGTON, April 18, 11 p.m. Highly important developments are taking place in the railway trouble and, although the situation is still delicate, there are prospects of averting a break by continuing discussions between the parties. The chief thing now is to find a basis on which to conduct negotiations further. Both sides seem anxious to secure a settlement of the difficulty which will be mutually just. If the A.S.R.S. withholds enforcing its ballot and thereby avoids any further interference with the railway traffic at this period, it might be possible to have the claims of the Society investigated by a tribunal. Much would depend, of course, whether the A.S.R.S. would agree to have the whole of their claims considered in this way or whether it would still insist on having a decision reached on the wages issue first. In any case, it is satisfactory to note that the parties arc still in contact. The Minister of Railways announced that conversations which had taken place had been reported to Cabinet. That the parties should come together now in order to effect a settlement, was a suggestion made by Mr M. J. Mack (General Secretary of the A.S.R.S.) in an interview. Mr Mack stated that the President of the A.S.R.S. (Mr J. Connelly) and himself had had a prolonged interview with the Prime Minister and Minister of Railways and had endeavoured to find a solution of the difficulty or rather to find a basis upon which both parties could start negotiations. This, however, they failed to do. “It would appear,” added Mr Mack, “as though the time was opportune for some third party to intervene with the object of finding some common basis on which negotiations can be started so that, if possible, that which I recognise would be a national calamity, should be averted. If unfortunately the worst should take place, the parties must come together sooner or later to effect a settlement and it seems to me infinitely better that they should come together now.” Mr Mack laid emphasis on the word “now” in order to avoid any possibility of delay occuring. PROPAGANDA OBJECTION BY MR HOLLAND. .ANONYMOUS ADVERTISEMENTS. GREYMOUTH, April 18. Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., Leader of the Labour Party, left Greymouth this morning on his way to the Labour Party’s annual conference at Dunedin. Referring to the trouble in the Public Service, Mr Holland said that the Government’s line of policy was revealed in their latest propaganda. It was not unlike an endeavour to quench a city fire with a hose fed from a reservoir of petroleum. The Government was spending huge sums of public money on the publication of anonymous advertisements and the secret distribution of anonymous circulars, drafted and printed to discredit the railway workers of the Dominion. It was bad enough that the Government which was one of the parties to the dispute should use the public funds to present a purely ex-party statement to the public but it was worse when the propaganda was made without any intimation that it was the work of the Government. The Labour Party insisted that every document issuing from the Government sources and paid for by the public, must bear the signature of the Minister for it. Mr Holland regretted that while the A.S.RjS. had replied courteously and favourably to his telegram offering to help in an effort to affect a settlement of the dispute, the Government’s reply had been quite the opposite and contained no indication of a desire for a mutual settlement on lines satisfactory to both sides. IF SETTLEMENT FAILS. CONVENING OF PARLIAMENT URGED. CHRISTCHURCH, April 18. Messrs Howard, Armstrong, McCombs and Sullivan, M.’s P., have telegraphed Mr Massey urging that, if Cabinet cannot settle the strike, Parliament be immediately called together.