RAILWAY STRIKE INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1266, 23 October 1911, Page 5

RAILWAY STRIKE INQUIRY.

COMMISSION REPORTS. PARTIAL RECOGNITION OF MEN'S UNIONS. PRESS COMMENTS. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Roc. October 2i, 5.5 p.m.) London, October 21. Tho Railway Commission set up on tho settlement of tho strike in August has reported. Tho commission, it will bo remembered, was appointed to investigate 1 tho railway conciliation and arbitration 1 scheme established in 1907 at the instance 1 of Mr. Lloyd-George, and to report what changes, if any, were desirable. ' Tho purpose of tho 1907 scheme was to provide machinery for solving deadlocks in negotiations between the companies and tho workmen. Applications for tho alteration of working conditions were to be niado lirst of all in tho usual way to tho officers of tho Department concerned, and if, within two months, a favourable decision wero not received, the ■ men could require the matter to bo rei ferred lirst to a sectional conciliation board, and afterwards, if they thought lit, to the central conciliation board of tho particular railway. The trade unions, as such, had no right to roprc- ' sentation on those boards and only in 5 the case of tho North-Eastern Conciliation Board has direct representation been allowed to tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. :. ! The commission recommends that the 3 central boards te abolished, and that 1 in cases of deadlocks on tho sectional boards the chairman's decision bo made 1 final. , Union Secretaries as Advocates. i It is recommended that tho secretaries . of tho trades unions, or any other peri son desired, bo allowed to act as the , men's advocates before the boards. Tho commission, however, considers tliat owing to their great responsibilities the companies cannot be expected to permit intervention between them and the men on questions of discipline and management. It is "urged that no encouragement should be given to cither side to refuse ■ to abido by the settlement. Tho railway [ service has great traditions and high ideals, and if the men place their duty i bei'oro any other consideration, tho pub- • lie will support them. ; "Absolute Disappointment," i Mr. Williams, secretary of the Amal- • gamated Society of Railway Servants, : considers that tho report will give ab- , solute disappointment. ; The "Daily News" states that if th( 1 proposed machinery is worked with good- . will, thero is no reason to doubt thai " the men will lo assured of their jusl claims. Tho "Daily Chronicle" thinks th< 1 amended methods will give tho nier s substantial gains. It objects to the pre " sent award running to next July.