Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, MAY 3rd, 1920. A SETTLEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 May 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, MAY 3rd, 1920. A SETTLEMENT.

Ai-ter four days’ disorganisation of the railway service, news came through Yesterday that a settlement had been reached. It was not creditable to He' Government nor the railwnymen that a settlement should be necessary at all at this juncture. The advent of the Prince had long been heralded, and Mr Massey as the host in chief for the Dominion should have seen that his house \yas in order for the fitting welcome and uninterrupted entertainment

of the Royal guest. For long the j-pjl-waymen have been agitating for improved conditions, and Mr Massey has

continued to ignore them. At the moment he relied on his luck—which has been rather in his favor during the duration of his office—but on this occasion lie did not have the fates with him. Tlie railwnymen had their own povit of Lew and keeping that in the forefront they ignored what was due in courtesy to the Royal gue?t. The plight of the

raihvaymen was not- such that their ex-

treme acjtion qould no.t stand over for a month longer, however long suffering they might el aim to have been in tlie past, However, the Government

had been warned. Not only wore “he men continually representing their ease, but it was noised abroad that if it had

not consideration they would iioH up the railway service during the Koval visit. Air Massey as Minister of Railways, must have known'all this, ancl to neglect the warning was to place the country in a most unhappy position. As time goes on flip Prince of

AA’ales’ visit will be remembered chiefly as the time when the employees of the Government-owned railways went on strike! That will not be creditable to tlie people of this Dominion who have been looking forward to the advent of the Royal visitor as an occasion for an outward and visible display of loyalty and affection for,constitutional government. 'The head ,of the Government apparently left headquarters with a very light heart- and he appears ftp be very

much to blame* for the situation wjiicii developed so quickly in his absence Mr Massey tried to allay the difficulty at long range, but his telegrams were not very helpful, and in the end he had to go post haste to AVellington to "settle” matters. He appears to have had some “luck” in the fact of the internal railway split, but it is a thousand pities that the “settlement” lie made within 24 hours of his return, could not have ixeen made a month sooner, which world have avoided the unfortunate stigma now attached ftp tli.o fair name of the Dominion. All’s well tha,t ends well goes tlie saying, but though the railway strike has ended, and so far well, the fact that there was a strike at all at this juncture is, we repeit, rot to the credit of either the Government or the raihvaymen.