LABOUR AND STRIKES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144145, 15 July 1913, Page 3

LABOUR AND STRIKES.

POSITION OF RAILWAYS. STATEMENT BY MR. VEITCH, MdV BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. AVELLINGTON, July 14. Following upon the decision of tha executive of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants to withdraw from tho Unity Congress, which sat recently in AVellington, the Addington railway workers passed a resolution dissenting from the action of tho executive. Your representative had a conversation on tho subject yesterday with Mr. AY. A. A r eitch, M.P., who. although, he is no longer president of the A.8.R.5., is a life member of that society, and is in oloso touch with the leaders of the railwaymen. “All that had boon .before the unions before the conference started,” 'said Mr. Veitch, “was the basis of unity. Naturally all the trades union men were anxious for unity, and tho people who carried that resolution in Oanterbur(y I have no doubt acted under a feeling of disappointment that unity had not been achieved. Possibly they wore inclined to blame their leaders for this fact. I have not tho slightest doubt that when the Addington railwaymen know the whole of the facta they will be quite satisfied with tho action of their leaders at that conference. As a matter of fact, a strike in the railway service would carry with it such disastrous results to the men themselves that it would be madness to take the risk. ,It must be borne in mind that the constitution of tho United Federation of Labour provides that tho whole of the organisation is to be at the disposal of the executive if necessary. If tho railwaymen accepted partnership in the organisation they would he in the position that they must go out on strike if called upon by the executive, even though they had no quarrel with their, own employers, or take the very dishonourable course of refusing to conform to rules that they had agreed to accept. That being so, the only honourable course open to the executive of tho A.S.R.S. was to leave tho conference and refuse to allow themselves to he associated with \ a movement which might at any time bring such a disaster upon them.” “The railwaymen,” continued Mr. Veitch, “have worked hard for years by means of " political action, and have been very successful in their efforts. They have succeeded in improving their working conditions vary materially, yet the whole cost to the country of all tbo improvements in service conditions that have been achieved is very much less than one week’s strike would have cost the, country. The jircsent position of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants is tho strongest possible argument against the abandonment of political action in favour of other methods.” I . \ “Had I still been president of the society,” Mr. Veitch replied to another question, “I should have felt bound to do exactly the same thing as has been done by the present executive.” j