REPLY TO RAILWAYMEN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3468, 23 April 1920, Page 5

REPLY TO RAILWAYMEN.

PH lj.\ll.l£lx' _~ UF'Fl*J}.<'b‘ (}OMMISb‘ION. TO b‘l'l‘ IN JUNE.

“CLLXEAX AT HAND.’

WELLINGTON, April

The Aiinister of I\':lll\\':lyS has intiss mated to ‘the three Railway Societies that. Mr Justice .Str'ulgel"s reciommcns u:.tions will operate until June 1 next, and that -.1. new Commission will then,‘ be constituted tu inquire whether zzux increase occurred in the cost of living between the first of January, 1920, and the first of June, and to report as to what bonus, if any, should be gmnteda in addition .*to the present rafe of re< xnuueration, the report to take el}Yec.t._' from June -. Six months thereafter. the rate of rem.uilel'ation’will be sub~

ject to review by a. ncw- Coxllmisvsi-mi at suchdntervals as the Government,

(1 ~ . . Ltexnunes

Unless Parliament otherwise pro-. vides, «the Commission will consist 033 two -Stipendiary.Magistrates, who will be ‘assisted by an éidvixsory usscsson. nominated by each of the three railway societies, who must be members of the service, and also by an advisory assessor nominated by the Department_. The Government asks for early nominations, so that ‘the Commission may sit in the first week of June.

The general secretary of the Amal-« gamated Society of Railway Servants (Mir Mack), when asked for an opinion regarding the "Priiiie Minister-’s reply to ‘the representations recerrtly, made, said: “I r”e‘g’ret to say that -our president ’s previous statement that the conference was abortive is quite ‘I rue. It is quite evident ‘that the Government is not taking representations on behalf of the men seriously. Our peaceful repeafed negotiations are being regarded as :1 sign of Weakness, and I think the climax is at hand. I feel sure the men will never accept the Commission proposals. We will not again"b'e placed ina false position with regard tokassessors, and a restricted order of reference.”

“So far as Wages are concerned,” I\li' Mack continued, “the Minisiei-._ has adillitted ‘that the menhare enif’i_tlci(‘l. to be placed in the samelrelative posi--tion that they were before the ‘\\'lll'. He admits that the increasedocost. of 'living is 62 per cent. We are prepared.?to_a<_:cept that as basis of__set_tlemen‘t_:so for as wages are col_lcQl_‘n_ed, but the Working 53onditions»must;.be iixiproveci. I am now lodging with the Minister :1 legal claim. under‘ the. La.hour Disputes Act, the Prime Minisfof.’s own Act designed for setflenient "ofgéuch disputes. In the meantime, I zio hope the men will not take the mom ter into their own hands, :11'th0u,r;h they now have good an‘d :5-ufiicient rea--sons for tloing' so.” L 4