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Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1919, Page 4

END OF RAILWAY STRIKE. The welcome news of the termination of the railway strike in Britain is enhanced by the fact that the final stages of the negotiations were of a most amicable nature. To Mr. Lioyd George belongs the credit for the settlement arrived at. He appears to have been determined to find a way out of the trouble, and though proposal after proposal was rejected he still held the door open and made fresh attempts to reach the end in view. Such persistency and diplomacy deserved success,, and the achievement shows that, no matter how divergent may be the views of the parties to a dispute, if the right methods are adopted all difficulties can be overcome. Had the Government been so inclined it could have forced the raihvaymen to accept whatever terms it pleased, as it was completely master of the situation owing to having the required motor lorries, aircraft, and other organisations jueessary to cope with the trouble. To have acted 011 this command of the situation would, however, have most probably led to disorders and possibly serious conflicts, which in the present state of industrial unrest it was imperative to avoid. In the previous stages of the strike the element of bitterness was very noticeable, but once the moderate leaders became convinced that the Government was acting in perfect good faith towards the men, it then only became a matter of discovering a common base whereon a settlement could take place. An examination of the terms agreed upon shows that the Government scored a decisive victory over the extremists. The men have resumed work on the undertaking that the negotiations' for stabilising wages in the various grades shall be completed by the end of the year, but no adult railwayman is to receive less than fifty-one shillings per week while the cost of living is over 110 per cent, above the pre-war level. A provision is made that the rates of pay may be reviewed after August 1, 1920, so that beyond fixing the minimum wage no alteration in pay has taken place. The outstanding feature appears to be that the attempt to hold up the Government was a gigantic failure, and the lesson is one that should have its due effect' in preventing further efforts in the same direction. The union has spent £300,Q00 in strike pay without imperilling the life of the nation, and both the Government and the people deserve praise for the admirable way in which the strike was met. Day by day the transport services improved, thanks to the excellent organisation which the war had made possible. The one regret is that certain outrages should have occurred, but in a time of intense feeling there arc always a few misguided men whose instincts for revenge overcome their sanity. Fortunately no serious harm resulted, so that the friendly agreement which was ultimately made bears witness to the leaders' sincerity of action in the best interests of the rank and file of the raihvaymen. "All's well that ends well."