RAILWAY STRIKE.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14348, 27 April 1920, Page 5

RAILWAY STRIKE.

AT MIDNIGHT TO-NIGHT. IN THE NORTH ISLAND. SOUTH ISLAND NOT DECIDED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON," Tuesday. Mr McArley, Secretary to the Enginedrivers’, Firemen's and Clean ers’ Association, announces that Hie North Island loco men will cease work at midnight to-nigliL 'Flip South Island men have not yet been instructed to stop. It is indicated that the A.S.R.S. members will also strike at once. THE MEN’S STATEMENT. • TIRED OF TEMPORISING. I WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The statement of the Executive Council of Locomotive, Enginedrivera’, Firemen’s, ami Cleaners’ Association is that the loco men have decided to cease work at midnight t'o-night, because tliey are in receipt of wages which have the lowest purchasing power of any men employed in similar work tn the' English-speaking world. Every means have been exhausted by the Executive Council to bring about ail amicable settlement, and which have been persistently represented to the manager, the Minister of Railways, and Parliament during the last ten | years. The men were most militant twelve months ago, and the Executive Council held tlie position until this year when the decision of the Board went out to the men. This was taken very sorely- by the men, but the exe- i icutive still held them pending further representation to tlie Minister. When tlie last letter was received by tlie executive from the Minister, tinExecutive Council sent the whole matter to the brandies to call urgeni meetings on Monday, 25th. Tlie Exe • dence, that it had done ail it could and had exhausted all meins in its power. It was also intimated to the men tiiat the Department had refused delegates leave to come to Wellington to consider tire position on the 21st. If Ulis had been agreed to. at all costs, the executive felt sure that the position would have been still safe. However, meetings held throughout New Zealand. were the largest and most extraordinary in the history of tlie railways. Tile unanimous instruction of the branches was that the Executive Council instruct all branches to cease work immediately. The Council bad placed themselves unreservedly in the hands of the branches, and to abide by their decisions. There had been no pre-determined action in striking at this particular juncture, and such a thing had never occurred to tin: executive. Tlie refusal of leave, coupled witii the letter sent in reply to tile last representations of the executive to tlw Minister has goaded the men into their present action. The Executive Council asked the Mtnfster to read the evidence of tlie Board, ami give a reply by the 21st if possible. It must be explained here that this union put up no case for an increase due to the cost of living, but solely from lb" point of view tiiat tile locomotive men in New Zealand were not being paid a wage equal to the world’s standard for locomotive men throughout the Eng-lish-speaking world. The Minister’s reply was by letter, and referred to the setting-up of another Board to go into the cost of living. The loco men’s case was hereby ignored. The Minister left Wellington the same day as the Executive Council received his letter. The. Minister knew that the position was serious, and had been so advised repeatedly for the last twelve months, ever since he was advised of a unanimous vote of tlie locomotive men, taken in May, 1919. The following motion was passed by the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Railway Officers’ Institute last night:—‘‘We are astonished to learn that Mr Massey has failed to grasp tlie fact that Mr Justice Stringer’s findings, with reference to the claim placed before the Wages Board, on behalf of lhe railway officers, are totally inadequate to meet the reasonable demands made, and consider Uat any new proposals, based on those findings, can only tend to prolong and intensify the trouble. M e deplore lhe fact that the Government failed to deal with the claims in a practical and sympathetic manner. We have no confidence in, and absolutely refuse to recognise that the Commission now proposed by Mr Massey and which we firmly believe is merely a further attempt to sidetrack the whole business. This meeting considers the Minister’s reply tantamount to tlie termination of amicable negotiations, and requests the executive to obtain a legal opinion as to the application of the Labour Disputes Investigation Act with a view to having tlie present dispute heard before a tribunal appointed under that Act.” ASSISTANT MANAGER SURPRISED. NO PREVIOUS NOTIFICATION. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Assistant-General Manager of Railways, when informed of the notification of the men, said 41 was the first intimation that he had received of the intention to strike. The men had given no warning, and last night neither the Prime Minister nor the General Manager of Railways had received any notification. THE GOVERNMENT PREPARED. WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Sir Francis Bell, who is the senior representative of the Government in Wellington at the present time, made a brief statement to a reporter this afternoon. "The Government," he said, “is aware of tlie position, and will take such steps as are necessary in the public interests.” He added tiiat the Prime Minister had communicated with the Amalgamated Railway Society and sug> gested that they should reconsider their decision, as it would be a disgrace to New Zealand if the railways .vere held up at tlie present time while the Prince was our guest.

On his arrival with tlie Royal party at Hamilton, Hon. W. F. Massey, Minister for Railways, received the intimation that tlie loco, men were to go out, and during the stay he was busily engaged in attending to matters * connected therewith.