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Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1920, Page 4

UNCOMPROMISING INDEPENDENCE. Our Wellington correspondent's account of the interview between the Premier and the loco, men indicates that the latter have adopted an attitude of "uncompromising independence," but which the public may consider would more fittingly be designated by harsher terms. They chose at the outset of the interview to reient the action of Mr. Massey in conferring with the A.S.E.S. delegates before the loco, delegates, possibly on the ground that the loco, men -were the first to take action, and should therefore be dealt with in priority to the other branch of the service, thus ignoring the fact that the A.S.R.S. is by far the larger organisation, and that numbers tell. The incident showed that the men ,wcre in a captious mood, and it is not surprising, therefore, that the conference was futile. The point on which the split was made was the demand for the payment of any increases recommended by the tribunal which the A.S.RS. had accepted, being made retrospective to January 1, and that the Premier refused. It is possible that had the request been that the Government would give effect to whatever recommendations the tribunal made as to retrospective payment of increases, the reply would have been different—it certainly should have been, for it is obvious that tlie increases are long overdue, and as the Government has hitherto failed to deal with the matter, that is the greater reason why the men should not be made to suffer. They have a good case, but are spoiling it in the handling. The Premier met' them with the object of arriving at an amicable settlement, and the men had everything to gain by adopting a conciliatory attitude instead of one of uncompromising independence. The Government should not have let such an important matter drift into a strike, and, having done so, should grant all reasonable concessions in regard to the proposed inquiry, while the men should place full trust in the tribunal to be appointed to settle the dispute. The claim for retrospective operation of increases is a fair one, and the Government ought not to hesitate to abide by the decision of the tribunal on the matter.