GREAT STRIKE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2035, 30 September 1919, Page 2

GREAT STRIKE.

ENGLISH RAILWAYS PARALYSED. ’ LLOYD GEORGE OX ITS CAUSES. • ENGINEERED P,Y EXTREMIST..” London. Sept. ‘2B. i Mr Lloyd George was unable t<J fulfil an. engagement at Carnarvon, and wrote as follows to ’t he chairman of (he Carnarvon County Council : “The cause of my absence in the sudden outbreak of the strike, which can only bring deplorable consequ- -, y cnees to those concerned in it, and to the nation at large. No one can suggest that I ever lacked in sympathy with the oppressed in any class in the country. lam constantly be- , ing criticised as a too extreme parPisan of those who are struggling for better conditions, but after uh.it has been acknowledged by them as : i being a, careful and patient, investigation by me of their case, I have come to the conclusion that in my long and varied experience I can recall lib strike which has been eidjfi’ed into so light!.Kand with such entire disregard for the. public interest. • 'tyil “The dispute is not one where it can be contended that the workers arc seeking to wring fair wages from harsh employers whose profits are believed to be excessive. The railwaymen in this ease are dealing with the community. The State is / now running the railways at a los-, due mainly to the enormous increase in'the wages of the railway .workers since the beginning of the war, also to.the great reduction in liourpT The loss must be borne by the general taxpayer, ns it will soon be passed on to the public in the form of increased fares and charges. On the merits of the strike, it is an inexplicable dispute, such as it: is, a- ' bout: something, which cannot possibly come into operation until next year. Yet the nation is thrown into dislocation by a hurried strike without even a week’s warning. The railwaymen declined to grant even a respite of two or three days to their •fellow countrymen, and a service on which the life of a whole people so much depends lu\s been sto roadi} practically with no warning. “The precipitancy of the strike, is suggestive of the deliberate and matured intention of some individuals to seek a quarrel at any cost.-It Ims convinced me that it. is not a strike for wages or better conditions. The Government has reason to believe it has been engineered fur some time by a small, but active, body of men, who wrought lirelesslyand insidiously to exploit the labour organisations of the country for subversive cuds. I am convince.' 1 that the vast majority of trade imionisls in the land are opposed to this anarchist conspiracy. Thejf can see the ruin and misery it Ims wrought to other lands, and their common-sense has - hitherto guarded (heir. organisations against the control of these intriguers. These men have made many efforts to hold (lie levers of trade unionism, but so \ far all their endeavours have ended ” in failure. There s is no more patriotic body in tin’s country than the railwaymen, as their conduct in wartime ■demonstrated. When they realise they are not fighting for fair conditions of labour tor their class, hut -are being used by ext remists foj’ sinister purposes, their commonsense will resume its sway and save the country, yea, their oven families, from disaster. “In the interests of (lie nation the Government had no alternative but to accept the challenge thrown down . ' to society as a Avhole. The Government intends to meet (he blow at the public weal with all the resources of state, and looks to the nation without distinction of class, inasmuch as it effects everybody to cheerfully bear the deprivation an indefensible strike will entail, and support it in maintaining the fabric of social order on which the prosperity of the country depends.” London, Sept. 28. The official report of the conference shows that the union demanded that the existing war wages should be made the permanent standard wage, and also that the maximum should be GOs weekly for workers who were earning 18s before the f war, and are now earning 51s. The Government/s offer was 40s permanently, plus a bonus of 13s, lluctualing at the end of the year us | the cost of living falls. Mr Lloyd. George admitted 'that the railwaymen wore disgracefully paid before the war, but that was 'no reason for imposing a burden that the eommunity could not bear. He regretted the strike decision was hasty, since the guarantee that there should be no reduction in wages until 1920 gave ample time for further negotiations. Not a railway wheel is turning in England, Scotland, and Wales. A novel feature of the strike is that aeroplane companies are advertising to convey anybody to anywhere in England or. on the Continent on receipt of a telephone requisition. The situation on Sunday afternoon was unchanged, three C or four continental trains were despatched. Developments are un- f likely before Monday, but there is difficulty in restraining the tramwavmen and ’busmen.