RAILWAY STRIKE

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2726, 29 April 1924, Page 3

RAILWAY STRIKE

A.S.R.S. MAKE A PROPOSAL. FOR NEW WAGES BOARD. Wellington, April 26. The most important development in"the railivay strike that has occurred since the stoppage of the service on Monday, April 21, took place this morning, when the executive of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants submitted a proposal to the Minister of Railways for a Commission to be set up. The personnel of the Commission was named and the Society undertook to call off the strike from the date of Commission commencing its sitting. The communication sent to the Minister was as follows: The Hon. Minister of Railways. Sir, —I am instructed by my executive to advise you that it has decided to make the following proposal to the Government, with a view to opening negotiations for the settlement of the present dispute, i.e. that a Commission be set up consisting of the following representative gentlement: Messrs J. H. Gunson, Auckland; W. D. Hunt, Wellington; J. D. Condliffe, Christchurch; J. Rovds, Christchurch; James Begg, Dunedin; R. A. Anderson, Invercargill. These gentlemen to inquire into and report on the matters in dispute, first dealing with and coming to a decision on the question of wages, ’ this* beng the vital question; all other matters to be dealt with at such time and place as the Board may decide. If this is acceptable to the Government, the Society agrees to call off the strike from the date on which the Board commences its -sitting. ('Sgd.) M. J. MAC?, General Secretary. The following reply to the Society’s letter was. received by Mr Mack at 1 o’clock this afternoon. The General Secretary, A.S.R.S. Dear Sir, —-I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of even date suggesting that a committee of gentlemen not associated with the Government or your Society be set up to go into the matters at present in dispute between the Society and the Government, the question of wages to be first dealt with, and the other matters as the committee may decide; also submitting for consideration the names of certain gentlemen. In reply, I have to inform you that I shall place the Society’s suggestion before my colleagues as soon as it is possible to convene a meeting of Cabinet to consider the proposal. (Sgd.) J. G. COATES, Minister of Railways. GENERAL MANAGER’S FORECAST. Wellington, Yesterday. “1 am anticipating the return of a number of men to work to-mor-row” .said the General Manager of Railways • (Mr R. W. McViily) to a Dominion; representative last night. “I have received information from all centres that there are men anxious and'.ready-to come back, including guards and others necessary to the running of the trains. I think I will have'Oven-better news for you to-morrow. The children from the llutl Valley will be brought in to visit the warships early, in the week, and later on 1 hope to be able to arrange trains to bring them in from the Manawatu and Wairarapa.”:- M-

DOMINION SERVICES EXTENDING.

Wellington, Yesterday. Tiie position in the rest of the Dominion, as reported by the General Manager of hail ways last night, is as encouraging as the local success of the Department in grappling with the position. in the Auckland ditrict, from \ Auckland to Pukakohe, four trains are running to-day, from Auckland to Papatoetoe 4 trains, Auckland to Plankton 2 trains, between -Newmarket and Henderson 6 trains, in Canterbury trains are running between. Lyttelton and Christchurch (passenger services and two goods trains), and Irakis are running >oa the Springiield and Waikare and between Christchurch and Oamaru, lines and between Christchurch and Uuiuaru. RAILWAY bititViCH HAXHNDHD. MAllf THUNK SfiRVICH RESUMED. . The Main Trunk left'Wellington for Auckland this morning and arrived at Palmerston N. at 11 am. and departed shortly after. It arrived at Peilding at 11.34 and departed at 11.37; Marton arrive 12.15. . A special passenger train connected with the Auckland express at Marton, leaving Wanganui at 0.45 this morning. A return Marton to Wanganui left at 12.40 pm. PILOT ENGINE. A pilot engine will run ahead of the )M».in Trunk and Wanganui , trains. . , _ P,lee:T TRAIN TO PALMERSTON A. ON THURSDAY. Wellington, Last Night. In adiiitiyn to. the ordinary., suburban trains, a mail train was despatched to Napier to-day. The train v which consisted of eleven cars, was crowded and was in charge of a regular guard, one of those who have icsumed work. It is the intention of the Department to extend the suburban services as Horn to-morrow so as a "cater not only for the workers

coming into and reluming from the city, but also for those desiring to travel during other times of the day.

To-morrow, trains will be run to bring school children in from the Hu It Valley to visit the warships and laler in the week it is hoped to bring the Manawatu children down. Arrangements will also be made for the coveyance of the officers and men of the fleet to Palmers ton N. on Thursday. Departmental officials express themselves as well pleased with the manner in which the men are offering to return to work. This morning, besides guards, a number of men belonging to other sections reported for duty. The most gratifying development to-day was the announcement by the General Manager (Mr R. W. Mevilly), that an Auckland express would run to-morrow. The train leaves Thorndon at 8 a.m., travelling as far as Ohakune, where the passengers will have to spend the night and proceeding to Auckland the following day.

ONLY FIVE DEFECTIONS. Wellington, Last Night. The assertion of the Railway Department that the solidarity of the strikers is breaking down is emphatically denied by the A.S.R.S. executive. “Only five second division men are. working.” stated an executive official. “One of these never went on strike. Two guards have been brought down from Le.vin and two other men have gone back in Wellington. That is the total of the defections from our ranks to date. If the Department can run the railways with that lot, they are welcome to.” He went on to say that telegrams were pouring in from every centre, even those which they had always i*egarded as weakest, assuring them that the men were behind the executive to a man. It was lime, however, that the Department had met with some success in organising a train service.

IN CANTERBURY. POSITION BETTER ALL ROUND. Christchurch, Last Night. A partial goods service was inaugurated at Christchurch station this morning, and the yard had a more businesslike look about it than it has had since the strike began. Shunting operations commenced fairly early, administrative officials acting as shunters and signalmen. None of the regular shunters were to be seen about the yards, although it is .-stated that some have returned to duty. At about 10.20 the first goods train got away to Ashburton, a guard who had returned to duty going in charge of it. Shortly afterwards a train left for Lyttelton with the coachiug foreman as guard. Lyttelton railway yards are practically empty of trucks. There are twelve vessels in port, two of which have paid their crews off. “All ships in port are being worked,” was the statement b.y the shipping official.

“The skeleton service is running well,”, said the chairman of the North Canterbury transport committee. “The Railway Department will now be able to carry to Christchurch all the petrol from Lyttelton where several boats are now discharging, and that will relieve the position in (J hris Ichureh.” WEST COAST FROZEN IN. Greynpmth, Last Night. There, were no trains nor shippiiig movement** to-day. The overland cox' services are again held up by road and river obstacles. The Reel ton jockey Club has aoundoned its autumn meeting. POSITION IN FAR NORTH. V Dargavilie, Last Night. The combined Business Men’s Association and Chamber of Commerce on Saturday made representations to the local stationmaster to iuu a train on the Ivaihu section of tnc railway where nearly 200 settlers are dependent on the line to get cream to the factory and household supplies from Dargavilie, owing to the bad conditions of the roads since the recent floods. The stalionmaster acceded to the request and ran a train himself to-day, assisted by the usual engine team. It is expected that another train will be run on Tnursday. This is the second train run similarly since the strike. SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT. Marton, April 28. At a meeting at Huntervilie it was resolved: “That this meeting representative of the business and farming community regrets the railway strike and deplores the attitude of the Labour- leaders throughout the country, who are either wilfully or iguorantly misrepresenting the causes of the lamentable condition in which the Dominion is placed to-day through their influence. \fe sympathise with the many loyal rarlwaymen who have been compelled to cease work contrary to their- own wishes, arid further we wish to assure the Government of our- loyal support in whatever action they may deem necessary to carry on the business of the country during the present crisis.”

A.S.K.S. RESOURCES The A.S.R.S. is looked upon as the most wealthy of the unions, but there are 12,000 or 13,000 members, and it would need an enormous fund to provide strike pay

(states the Dominion). In cash and property the total funds include £IO,OOO in Wellington Harbour Board debentures, £I,OOO in War Bonds and most of the balance in city property, are about £20,000. Almost all the coal miners are out of work, and it remains for the other unions to provide the means to continue the strike. When it is remembered that four-fifths of the money subscribed in aid of the coal miners' strike came from Australia, the prospect of substantial financial help in the Dominion in the present case does not look 100 hopeful. FLAX-WORKERS’ PROTEST. At the half-yearly meeting of the Manawatu Flaxworkers* Union, held at Shannon on Saturday, the following resolutions were carried. (1) That this Union demands that the Prime Minister immediately call Parliament together for the purpose of settling the railway strike, otherwise other unions will become involved. (2) That this Union congratulates the A.S.R.S. oil their resisting the demand of the Government to increase their hours of work from 44 hours to 48 hours. NO WORD OF SETTLEMENT. Up to the time of going to press this afternoon, no word has come through that Cabinet, had forwarded a reply to the overtures of the A.S. R.S.