WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1924, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE POLITICIANS AND TUB STRIKERS.

FAULTS ON BOTH SIDES

(Occasional Correspondent)

AA'ELLIXGTON. April L'S

.So far none of tin* politicians have helped greatly towards the settlement of the dispute between the liovernment and the railway men. They all have said the obvious things in the obvious wav—each from his own point ol view—hot they have neither convinced the public nor impressed the strikers. The Prime Minister, who, quite properly has taken the case for the Government in hand himself, has been more concerned to -.show that it would lx" inexpedient to grant the men’s demands than to prove that the demands themselves arc unjustified. He pleads the prospect of a depicted T roasurv as a good reason for denying the men what they regard as a living wage. The argument would be logical enough ii the financial needs of the country necessitated sucli a policy, and it were applied to every department of the Civil Service. But when it is applied t ,: only one section of one department it i- both illogical and unfair. The contention that the men's superannuation fund is subsidised hv the State and that they are granted certain holiday travelling facilities should not affect the issue at all. The Stale's contribution to the superannuation fund is to all intents and purposes part and parcel of the annual wages of public servants. It attracts men and women to the service who otherwise would look for higher wages. The travelling facilities are of no monetary advantage to tin* men and certainly should not he counted as part of their pay. THE PRI.AIK MINISTER’!* TASK.

Of course Mr Massey is in a peculiarly difficult position. Since his return from the Imperial Conference at the end of January he has spent much of his time travelling about the country. and with all his capacity for hard work he does not seem yet to have had leisure to familiarise himself with the details of the railway men’s ease. During his nhsome in Loudon it v.as convenient to his colleagues to postpone till his return many of the problems that confronted them. 1 lie policy of “taihoa” is not unaeeeptahle to the Minister of Railways and in any ease he was humid to hold over a question involving a large expenditure for the determination of the Prime Minister. who aNo is Minister of Finance. Then there was the additional delay occasioned hv the collapse of the tti'st AA'ages Board, which, as everyone real-

ir.o now. was most unhappily cunstituted and foredoomed to failure. But even after taking all these facts Milo account, and admitting quit*’ freely Mr Massey’s good intentions, it is difiiciilt to acquit the Mini'ters I coin all the charges ol ineptitude that ate i il,g levelled against them. No donut their shortcomings ace being liinguiiiod by biassed people, but I here can be no question about tbeir failure to meet the crisis with promptitude and understanding.

THE LIBERALS’ DILEMMA

The leader of the l iberal Opposition ill ... scarcely less nerplexiliß position t!c:iii is the Prime Minister. I<> begin with, among tlio strikers are many of his own enrsliluents who nn tu rally look to their member to stand bv them in their time of trouble. 'lll'll lII' must tie careful to avoid giving a party turn to an industrial struggle, and.'above all. be must avoid lending c uintenanee to any movement tout might undermine the principle ol arbiir.'iiinii. Hut on til" whole Mr Vv'ilIjir.l in a letter lie lias addressed to tbc* newspapers has aictuittcd liimscll fairly well, though perhaps he would have done still better had lie avoided all reference to -Mr Many's rather cheap anneals to the public. "I he Prime Minister's maiiifeslo.” lie said the ether day. “carries no weight at ~|| | have i lie right honourable gentleman’s sneeelies since his return from England and I Hud that when lie wishes to advocate reduction of taxation he tells ns that everything i- well with the country, ami when be faces the (|iiestinn of increased wage- t‘ those who have a .lesnerate struggle t" make etuis meet, lie predicts di-e>-ter. This thrust was justified by the emit nidi,lions in some Of the Vrime Ministor's speeches, but the nine and r ue" were not opportune for its delivery, .lust at the moment party advantages are of muc h Ic-s eoli.e, t uenee than national needs and the strikers slimth. not be enenurnged to think that tin... renuneiation of the ..oust,tmmn.il moans provided for the rec.ivss o their grievances can be condoned m account of the inconsistencies ... the head of the ( lovernmciu. THE MEN'S I’AHT.

, Vs ji„. “Aiieklancl Star” has very eroporlv said, the Prime Minister's ivplv to Mr Holland's offer of mediation in' this trouble was lacking m both ..race and tart. Blit the leader of tlio Parliamentary Labour I’aity is so little .schooled in the amenities of party controversy that he cannot well ccmplu.i „f his oiler of assistance being so.curtlv declined. The incident suggests that it is the men's leaders again, and not the men them-elves that have brought about the present deplorable state o. affairs. The railway hands out on strike are recognised all over the country as la-longing to one of the most courteous, eapahle and conservative groups of workers in the public service. Their patience has been sadly taxed during the last few months, but ir is incredible that without the instigation of their leaders they would have selected “Fleet Week" in Wellington as the pirticnlar time for the dislocation of the whole transport service of the Dominion. The same tart.es wore employed, it will be remembered, during the visit of the Prince of Wales, and before that during the summer holiday season. This is not the disposition of the average railway worker, as even- traveller knows him. and u must be tlie design of leaders devoid ol both magnanimity and vision. No strike in this country ever will succeed without the weight of public sympathy behind it and public, sympathy never will side with a movement plainly intended to place the maximum of inconvenience

and loss upon the mass of the community. PROPOSED COMMISSION.

And now the executive of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has come forward with a proposal that the dispute shall be referred to a Commission nominated by itsell, and with a promise that the men will resume work directly the commission liegins its sittings. There can lie no reasonable objection to the personnel of the proposed commission—it is admirable in every way, consisting of broad-minded, capable men to whom any worker or employer could entrust his interests without hesitation,—but it' is unusual and undesirable that one side to a dispute alone should have the choosing of the tribunal by which the terms of settlement are to bo arranged. Perhaps the Government, having regard to the excellence of the Executive’s choice, may he magnanimous, but it will not bo placing itself in the wrong if it suggests modifications in the constitution of the Commission. Then the Government very well may take exception to the proposal that the men shall resume work only when the Commission holds its first sitting. Clearly the men should get- Hack to their jolis directly the constitution of the Commission is agreed upon. Any further delay, in addition to involving the public in loss and inconvenience, would, smply mean that the men were not prepared to accept the Government’s pledged .work. The Cabinet is sitting at the time of writing. and its decision will he known lielore the lines appear in print, but the general opinion bore is that if the matter is approached by both sides in a proper spirit of conciliation, the trouble will be settled within the next fortyeight hours.