FOR THE ARMY

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1925, Page 2

FOR THE ARMY

HAILWAY COY’S (IFF EH. CM ON SECRETARY'S LEAKS. .OBUtALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION LONDON. .January 10. .Mr Cramp, General Secretary of the National Conn: il of Railwnymeu. lias circularised all branches of the Union in Britain regarding four great British Bail" ay Companies undertaking to raise technical units tor the regular army snprl reserve which "ill he legally liable to he called out to aid the civil power. Mr Cramp says Dial there have been no negotiations with the National I nion of Railwayman in connection therewith; therefore, the executive has been driven to the conclusion that this army reserve is indirectly controlled, a.s it will he, by the einplovers which will constitute a. grave danger to the railwayman in the event of an industrial dispute.

Mr Cramp is communicating with the War Minister, hut until a. satisfactory guarantee is obtained that this reserve will not he used during a dispute between the railway companies and their employees, members of the Union will he advised not to volunteer to nerve in these units. LABOUR GOVERNMENT'S DOINGS. CONSIDER A 111. B STIR. • Itee.-uved this dav at 8 a. ill.) LONDON, Jannory 10. A considerable stir has been caused by Mr Cramp's circular, especially as a national wages demand is in the course of being forwarded by the railwaymen. An official of the Railway Companies Association, however. made a statement that the army order on which the enlistment of the railwaymeii is based, was issued by the Labour ( loveriiinent and was signed by Mr Stephen Mulsh (ex-M i nister of War). The Railway Companies came into the scheme because t! yv were asked by the Mar Office to co-operate. The companies have no ulterior motive and can only assume that as the Mar Office was the then controlled by a Labour Government. it also had no ulterior motive. A paragraph appears in the army order authorising a supplementary reserve, issued on the Sth. The “ Daily Herald” says it is impossible to obtain an official declaration from the M'ar Office in view of the absence of Sir Laming AYortliiugtonB.vans, but Ike view taken by the army authorities was that the supplementary reserve would only be called out in the gravest emergency and as part of the general reserve. “ Gravest emergency ” is defined as anything like a civil war or something likely to hold no the essential services of Mate. The ” Daily Herald” comments that the above is exactly what the railway men declare is involved in the scheme. 'The “Herald” reports that scenes occurred at Bishop’s Gate Street goods stations when the railwaymeii refused to listen to the recruiting sergeant and the officer accompanying him. No violence was used, but the men appeared determined to resist what they regarded as a shabby attempt on the part of the authorities to recruit railwayman on the eve of a national wage demand.