SETTLED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 14111, 3 May 1920, Page 5

SETTLED.

\ agreement beached. (B^Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Sunday. TEe railway strike was settled late on Saturday night, when Mr Massey men, . 1 The executive of the Union agreed to waive their claim for a retrospective payment of increases, and to submit to the reference of the dispute to a trib- . unal. * ■ Everything is iin train for a resumption of the various , services'to-morrow. In commenting on the settlement obtained, Mr Massey made the following bfiS'statement:—“ln each case the principle of conciliation is being observed for the points in dispute, as between the E.F.C.A. and the. .Government. A special Conciliation Committee is being set up, and I hope to have it appointed at or before the end of the. week, and to get it to work as soon as possible thereafter. In the other two caws of the First Division and thfAf.S., the provisions of the LlbOur|»isputcs Investigation Act arc being taken advantage of, so far as they apply. They do not quite fit a -dispute as between the Crown and its employees, but the principle is being observed, and I have no doubt ’-that it will work out satisfactorily. ” I am naturally very glad that the strike has -.come to an end, especially as it •on- . . ablcs the original programme of our visitor to be proceeded with. I am glad to say that, so far as I am able to judge —and I thiuk 1 am right in • ; s —the dispute has left' no bitterness -behind. The negotiations were con- - ducted in the most' friendly spirit, although they were oiv Friday and Saturday somewhat protracted. But the ' result of ifi all is that we understand - one another better .than we..did before, rand as a consequence I believe that •any dispute that may .occur in. the i'utura- will be very much more- easily settled, and that the Minister of Railways •and UWailway Department on the one hand, and the railwaymeii on the other, will be the better- able-fd;. work loyally -together for our experience,..during tli ; e last few weeks. . :.-• •'

_ The Railway Strike. f - Men Resume Work. Trains Running To-Day.

SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT. ICHRISTCHUItCII, Sunday]. ” . “Perhaps some of ouf,members'-are> of opinion that the Loco. Association will get an advantage which our ;Executive 'has.’ not secured. 'That position was anticipated by mv Executive, and I can assure members.pf Abe A;S.B.S. that there is no possibility of ..anything like that happening. Tho Government is -already to the fact that to bring about such arrangements would mean i falling out of the fryingpan into the lire.;’ This significant statement was made on .Saturday afternoon by Mr Hampton (president of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Ser-, vants) in'an interview covering the most important phases of the railway dispute. . i Mr Ilamjiton was asked Whether the Prime Minister was right in his statement that, the agreement ended the, strike, but not the grievances. “Oh, yes,” said Mr Hampton, “that. is quite true, although at. the same time,, of course, we hope‘the agreement ufade for the resumption of work will ultimately end the': grievances oft lie railwaymen'. But if it does not the position is safeguarded to this extent, that the men have the right to 'declare var again. The trouble was brought about in our case by the position-which the Prime Minister took un in, jhis j>'epl}7 to the Executive Council,'ih -Which lie practically said the General Manager should have the last word on what, he termed the technical matters, conditions in the service.-. -,W es haye. al j , wavs beqn prepared to negotiate ..with t.lie General .ijanfiger, and try..to coine. to terms, anil if w;e could ..cqmrf, to. terms that, l think, would be.,an- ideal way of settling our disputes. But we can never accept the. position that the General Manager's word must in each and every instance be accepted.yyi lm-. 'll without a. right of appeal to anyone else. Tho agreement: which we have made gets ovW that ppsitipn, find gives us the vight'-to have the- General Manager’s decisions reviewed bv an independent tribunal. • ■ The ‘arbitrator Will not be solely ; Mfected ‘by the Prime Minister, as he'originally' pliroposed in his lasU'eammmiieatioiq but will be a liiattcr for ncgdtiatioTrbe-'" 'twecnl Mr Massey and the Executive We will start -the hearing of jtp| when we both agree that Avc have confidence in the arbitrator, which will,'-wc hope, be in a-few days. It may bd suggested .that; it, will be fi : difficult .matter, to- arrange, but person filly 1 don’t* exbeet' finy great difficulty, ip coming of an' Agreement regarding the chairmanship.”: ~,