THE RAILWAY TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1924, Page 4

THE RAILWAY TROUBLE.

.MINISTER’S REPLY TO All! CHURCH HOUSE. WELLINGTON. .May 23. toe Hon. .1. G. Coates made a statement to-day in roioroiiio to the recent remarks ol Mr .1. W. Cbarclibouse. \ i.-e-j resident of the A.S.R.S. Inmentioned that he bad never bad any dist id .ion with Mr CloH'i'hlioiise enn(«ruing tbe conditions tb.it Mould np- | ly on resumption of work alter the strike. Any negotiations which bad

taken phne since the strike, it was declared. bad been between 1 lit? President and genera! secretary of the Society, aeiingon behalf of the Executive Council and himself. With reference to the slatemenl. Inal I lie Gnvcrnmonl. after considerable delay, rejected the Society's offer of a Hoard, and the .Minister unofficially oli’ered a similar (’nnmiission with no victimisation, the Minister said llutt there were one or two inaccuracies in tlie statement, which should he cleared up. In the fi;M place the

proposal of the Society was for the suggested Board tn deal first with the

wages question separately. No delay look place in considering the Society’s proposal. Tt was received on the morning of Saturday. April 26th, and on account of various functions in connexion with the visit of the Fleet, it

was impossible to convene a mooting of Cabinet until April 29th. C'ahinet'n derision, communicated to the Society the same day. was a (ejection of proposal. It. indicated also that nothing lia:l occurred to justify any alteration in the decision to deal with the whole of the claims comprehensively. Further, in view of the action taken in striking while negotiations were in progress, tho Government could not agree to discuss the demands with tire A.S.ILS. unless ordinary working conditions lii'd first been resumed in the Department.

With regard to tlie remark concern, ing victimisation, that had no reference whatever to the privileges and .superannuation, which at that stage had not been settled. As a matter of iact. every employee of the Department know perfectly well that immediately he ceased work without permission he had terminated his employment wjlh the Department. The whole of his privileges and superannuation contributions were automatically cancelled, and if ho was reinstated these questions were then decided. It was for the Government to say what the new conditions of work should he after work had boon resit ip-

TfTF. TRIBUNAL. Fp to a late hour this afternoon, tho Minister of Railways had received no communication from the A.S.R.S. executive intimating their acceptance of the tribunal to consider the demands of i.o Society. Mr M. J. Mack (general secretary), when approached on the subject, said: “There is nothing to add: I have no comment to make.”