RAILWAY SERVICE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 31 May 1919, Page 6

RAILWAY SERVICE.

REPLY to locomotive men. Pei- Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 30. The Government has made its reply to the request of the locomotive men 1 of the railway service, made by a deputation from their society, which waited on the Acting-Prime Minister some two weeks ago. On that occasion the men protested that they could get no distance with the discussion of their differences with the management in conference with the Minister of Bailways and the General Manager of .Railways, and they appealed to the Government to appoint an outside conciliator (for which position they suggested either Judge Sim or Judge Stringer) to preside over the conference of representatives of their society, and the department conciliator was merely to be chairman of the conference, charged, presumably, with the duty of seeing that matters wore fairly presented and discussed. He was not to be an arbitrator.

The Acting-Prime Minister promised to submit the matter to Cabinet, and ■the answer of Cabinet had been given. Following is the text of the Minister’s reply;— “To the president and secretary of the Enginedrivers. Firemen, and Cleaners’ Association,—

“In accordance with my promise, I referred to Cabinet the various matters placed before me by the deputation which waited on me on May 13. In reply, I have to state that Cabinet has carefully considered the matter, and I have been authorised to make the following reply The Government understand that the details of the Government scheme have never been thoroughly discussed in a fair and amicable manner, owing to the refusal of your association to take part in any round table conference, between the Minister of Railways and the department and yourselves. The Government believe that if such a conference had been held many misunderstandings would have been cleared up. Therefore the Government suggest to your association that such a conference he, hold, in which objections to the scheme may bo fairly stated to tbo Minister and to the General Manager. The Government strongly recommends the association to follow the example of the Amalgamated Society and accept the scheme, and give it a fair trial, with the belief that any injustices that may bo found in administration can better be remedied by round table conferences than bv threats of a strike.

“"With respect to your request for arbitration in the matter, if that means that your association desires to come under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, I may say that the Government not. only would have no objection to that course but would bring in legislation to give effect to this, provided it was satisfied, by ballot, or otherwise, that the majority of its employees in the Second Division were in favour of surh a course. The Government, however, could not agree to a minority/of the Second Division being under the Arbitration Act and a larger portion being outside the Act, nor could the Government agree to any arbitrators or conciliators beiug appointed to act, except under the provisions of the Arbitration Act.” GENERAL SECRETARY’S VIEWS. WELLINGTON, May 30. W. Mac Arley, general secretary of the Locomotive Engineers. Firemen, and Cleaners’ Association, in the course ot a statement, replying to Sir .Tames Allen’s letter, says it appears to him that the Acting-Prime Minister has been misinformed as to the attitude taken up by the representatives of the association. He personally offered to state the association’s position to the Acting-Prime Minister. Before the Cabinet met the association never refused to meet the. Minister for Railways (Hon. W. H. Herries) and tho department in a round table conference to discuss the proposals. When the Minister submitted his proposals on April 2 the proposals were fully discussed and explained to the association’s delegates. The men had the fullest information, -and fully under understood the. proposals, and representatives of the association, in their statement to the Acting-Prime Minister, stated certain definite reasons why they resented the proposals which could no be the subject of any misunderstanding on either side. Tire Executive Council which has power to act in tho matter, will meet as soon as the members can assemble, when an official statement may be made.