The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1920. ANOTHER STRIKE ENDED.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 March 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1920. ANOTHER STRIKE ENDED.

Transport is so vital to till the units of the British Empire that its dislocation by a strike ha; very far-reaching effects. The strike of the marine engineers in Australia is a case in point, and its cessation will be heartily welcomed.' The offer twice rejected by the strikers amounted to an 'increase of £1 per month on the previous offer made by the Shipping Controller, and the obstinacy of the engineers in adhering to their demands for much larger increases has held up shipping and caused great loss and hardships. The pre-strike rates of pay ranged from £ls 10s per month for junior engineers to £42 for seniors, a minimum overtime rate of three shillings per hour bejng offered, so that it would be possible for the men to earn up to the amounts in their original demands. It was only as recently as the, end of December, 1918, that the last award came into force, and Justice Higgins, in making the award, showed that the same reasons did , not exist in Australia as were ores-

ent in Britain and America for justifying the increases made in those two countries, as the increase in the price of living in Britain was 118 per cent., and in America nearly 63 per cent., while in Australia is was only 28 per cent. The engineers were dissatisfied with the award, and, after some preliminary conferences, an offer was made to them last November of £2 per month, which was not accepted, and they decided to take a vote on the matter. Meanwhile the Controller of Shipping made an offer of the New Zealand rate, with a minimum for juniors higher than that scale, this being accepted by a large majority. Then came a protest to the Owners' Federation by the executive in Sydney that all communications should be made to the general secretary. Later, the engineers executive asked for a conference, which lasted from January 13 to 20. The shipowners indicated they were not prepared to recommend the schedule submitted, but promised to submit the matter to the Premier, while the Controller stated that in conceding the New Zealand rates he had gone to the limit of concession. The engineers then submitted another schedule to the Premier, which, in some cases, increased the original demands, and after a conference the owners declined to entertain the offer. The shipowners expressed their willingness to submit the question to a tribunal satisfactory to both sides, and agreed to abide by the decision, the wages then offered to remain in force meanwhile. It was eventually decided that the tribunal should be the conference, with an independent chairman or umpire, whose name was approved, it being understood that the umpire would not be empowered to reduce the wage below the amount paid on resumption of work. A ballot of the men was taken and the proposal rejected. The engineers had an opportunity of resuming work on a schedule conceding considerably more than half they were asking, and, with this schedule as a minimum, were at "liberty to argue their case for «. further concession before an independent chairman or umpire whom they approved. It will thus be seen that the shipowners did all that could reasonably be expected of them, and the Premier evidently recognised this by taking up a determined attitude; intimating thrt no further concession would Is made. It does not matter what transpired to bring the strike to an end, but the details of this sorry business show that, transport facilities are at the merey of a mere handful of men who utilise the strike weapon much in the same manner as highwaymen—"stand and deliver!" It would seem that such a serious menace to the vital activities of the Em pire needs effective treatment. Some means should be found to prevent interference with any transport services, and if the various governments concerned are unable to devise satisfactory measures, possibly the League of Nations may deal with the matter in the interests of the world at large.