THE RAILWAY STRIKE.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1924, Page 2

THE RAILWAY STRIKE.

['EY TKIiKCTtAriI—I'ER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

THE REASON WHY

A.S.R.S. PRESIDENT EXPLAINS

WELLINGTON. April 20.

The reasons for the decision to pat tilt end to the strike were explained by the President of the A.S.B.S. (Mr W. Connelly) in a statement issued today as follows:—The strike was declared off owing to the fact that if it had been continued for another day it would have meant an extension of trouble to a wider field. The country would have been faced with a large industrial upheaval and tbe responsibility for procipating such a step was too serious and had to he considered by the Society’s Executive ami the p >-i----tiou of loyal members of the organisation taken into account. It must he untilted that members of the Society’s have given a wonderful display of loyalty to their organisation and their class. After just over tt week on strike only u dozen out of over ten thousand of our members had succumbed to the great temptations held out to the second division men to return to work. This alone is evidence that the railwaymen realised that in striking they had tt good ease and every justification for taking the extreme action at the end of fifteen months of negotiation, to emphasise the urgency of their claims. The membership was loyal from Dargarvifle to Invercargill and this solidarity could not have been so well sustained, hut tor the fact- that our ease was sound and strong. The Executive Council would not have taken its fittest step hut. fut the fact that it realises that evidence for the improvement in economic condilions of our members is so overwhelming. that it need have no fear of the result of placing the matter before u proper tribunal. I lie solidarity of the strike position from the point of view of the society lias been so satisfactory all along that the dispute could have been maintained for some time to come. This would have resulted in a greater inconvenience to the community, for it was quite apparent that motor transit on New Zealand roads of the present description cannot. adequately meet even the most urgent needs "f inland communities requiring fuel and food. It was clear that if the dispute had extended, it would not in the circumstances, have ended in a tew days, lint that it would have become iar more diflii tilt to settle, and that in the ultimate result, many, if not till of our grievances would still have had to he stibmitt '.l to some tribunal, which could hear the facts and conic to a well considered decision.

AT ATC’KI.AND

AUCKLAND. April 3!

When the announcement was made at Trades Hall this morning th.it the strike was off, it was appi'eitt lltcte was a general feeling ol -at 1 Ci 'ion by railwaymen on being allow .1 •' "tin to work. The announcement by the President of the local branch wt- toeeived with loud cheering. Me-sl'S Parry M.P.. Way and Pur. d. i' :t----gralulate:! the railwaymen on theit conduct which throughout had b‘'eil oeyoicl reproach. ’I hat tliev wri solid was evidenced' by the fact th >1 not cue mao in Auckland hud gene leak to his job The railwaymen ttssetnbl.'d outside the hall and marched to the railway buildings where the President ealied for cheers for Labour which were rottsinglv given. ’I he men then dispersed. The procession was orderly throughout. I'ii.ie was an occasional shout “Are We Down-hearted.” to veiljrii the repl • was emphatically ••No.’’ The strikers will report this niter noon to resume liuty tu-mnrrow.

Mlt AIA-SSEVS STATK.MK.NT. WELLINGTON. April IK). Hegardiug the railway position, the Prime Minister said to-day: “Naturally we are pleased that the strike has come to an end. and that industrial peace once more prevails. Mav it hist for a very long time. 1 know there were many men among the strikers who had no sympathy with the movement. and who realised a serious loss to the country was entailed by every day's suspension of business. The Onvernment. however, had their duty to do. and that was to stand tin against any attempts to coffee them into what they knew would lie a serious injustice to the great bulk of citizens of the Dominion. and would almost certainly lend to still more serious trouble. I believe it will be admitted tile result justifies tlie Government's action. Oil" tiling is quite certain. No section ot the public service can be allowed to stop the whole business of the .country, in the wav that lias been attempted recently, i think that has happened has been a lesson to most people, especially to those men who were misled or coerced into going out on strike. Incidents such as we have experienced do not enhance or maintain the reputation of the country. J am very glad that, in the end. wiser counsels have prevailed. As so m a, it can be managed. the (bivernment intends to arrange for an exhaustive enquiry by experienced men into the whole railway system, including income and expenditure, with a view to possible economies and the abolition of anomalies. It is quite cerium, that, in the very near future, there will be serious competition with railways from motor vehicles. However annoying that may be. we cannot use unfair methods to interfere with anything which promises to improve our means of communication. IVhat wo have to do is to bring about an all-round improvement in our railway system organising n "n up-to-date commercial lines, thus rendering it more useful and salislaclort to * l,l public, and therefore letter able to |„.|d its own with outside competitors. On behalf of the Covcrmnenl. 1 do’iv to thank those both inside and outside tlie service who came to our assistance, and enabled the business of the country to be carried on. in most -as-s wit bout, anv very serious delays.’

ClllUSTlimit'M A.S.K.S.

CIIHISTCHITHII. April Tt

“\Ye have tried to play the gam.light through, anil now we want no hitterness.'* is tin* burden oi a state* incut which the Chairman ol the Christchurch Stiike Kxecutive. Mr H. Hampton, handed to the “Dress’ representative after the meetings of the men at the Trades Hail, to-day. "The statement says the I'.xocwt’ \ tried throughout to prevent the strike spreading to other bodies of worser*, and to prevent any disorder. I i ■•*nelusiou. the statement s:iy»:~ The Kxecutive arc particularly desirous that there should be no aftermath bitterness m far as this trouble is oitcerned. The members of the K.I'.C.A. in particular have taken up a certain attitude in this strike which mav bars irritated some of our men. Now Jut the strke is over, wo hope there will l>o no bickerings, or evidences of il will on cither side. As far as >e are concerned, tie think the right and proper attitude to take up to those who have differed from us in this dispute is to let bygones he bygones, and we hope our men generally will adopt that attitude."

MEN’S PAY DOCKED. WELLINGTON. April :0 “The rail way men who have been on

strike have not received payment for the time they have been out, and tley are not going to receive payment fjr it,” stated the Assistant Manager of the Railways. Mr Sterling, to a ’Junes’ reporter. “The Department had no intention,” ho added, of paying the men for the time during which they had refused duty.

In regard to superannuation, ‘aid Mr Sterling, the position was that legally the men had forfeited all right to the benefits under this provision. They now possessed only the right to receive hack what they had already paid into the funds. While this was the position in which the railwaymen found themselves, as a result ol* the strike, it rested with the Government to say whether or not these provisions should be enforced. They might or might not lie eventually modified after the negotiations with the men’s representatives.

WELLINGTON. April 3

The same total absence of excitement or incident which marked the commencement of the strike also characterised its conclusion. To-day the men reported quietly for duty at the customary hour, and were put to work as required.

BULLER TRAINS. WESTPORT. April 3D.

Work on the railway line was fairly generally resumed by 1 p.m. to-day. and the first train to the mining districts left Westport at -I p.m. Tomorrow being May Day. there will l>e no work itt tile main coal mines, hut the co-operatives will probably he producing.

AUCKLAND SERVICES. AUCKLAND, April 30.

The train service to-day is practically the same as yesterday. ’I o-tnor-row services will , lie hack almost to normal, except the Alain Trunk Services, and on the Ktiipara line, where slips, north of Kaukapaknpa. are not yet clear. A train taking two days to roach Wellington, leaves in the morning with GOO passengers Isinked.