STRIKE CONTINUES.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1920, Page 5

STRIKE CONTINUES.

NEGOTIATIONS BREAK DOWN. OFFER OF TBIBUNAL REFUSED. RESUMPTION BY TRAFFIC MEN. The railway strike remains unsettled, and the tour of the Prince of Wales is held up.

The Premier had conferences yesterday with the traffic men and the locomotive men, and the former agreed to accept a tribunal to hear the dispute. The loco, men, however, could not agree. The position, therefore,, is that the traffic men have resumed, but the running of trains cannot proceed without the loco, men, and, as far as the public is concerned, the position is unchanged. The negotiations will probably be continued to-day. The loco, men have isolated themselves, and must fight the Government alone, for the Transport Workers' Federation has endorsed the settlement arrived at by the traffic men.

LOCO. MEN STILL OUT. FAILURE OF NEGOTIATIONS. • THE POSITION UNCHANGED. By Telegraph.—Pre". Association. Wellington, Last Night. .a conference took place between Mr. Massey and the executive of the locomotive men at 2.45. There were hopes that a settlement would be arrived at without grea*' difficulty, and rumors were telegraphed out to the effect that it had actually come to pass, but at five o'clock the conference had. not come to an agreement, and the men withdrew. This is the position at present. REPORT OF THE INTERVIEW. ONE REQUEST IN DISPUTE. PREMIER'S FIRM REFUSAL. .FUTURE ACTION DOUBTFUL. Wellington, Last Night. "The executive of the E.F.C.A. is firm in its attitude," said the secretary (Mr. McAlley) to a, reporter to-night. "We hate made claims we consider to be fair and just. We consider that, failing a settlement on the lilies we have suggested, the alternative fs "for the Government to to go through the schedule of wages and conditions, point by point, and arrive at a settlement. We are anxious to bring the dispute to a speedy settlement, and with that end in view we were prepared to accept the Conciliation Commission proposed by Mr. Massey. If we are to go through wages and conditions item by item it will take a considerable time, and prolong the dispute. We met the Prime Minister to-day in what we conaider to be a fair way. We gave in to ]>im on a good many points, or at least .we considered we did, and when we asked him to concede one pof'nt he would liot do it. That is where we stand tonight." Mr. McArley added that the conference between the Prime Minister and the executive of the E.F.C.A. had broken down completely, and no proposal had yet been made for its resumption. He could not tell what the future developments would be. The Prime Miinister replied to-night to the statement that the loco, men had given way on several points, and that he had refused to give way on the one concession asked of him. "All I can say."' he stated, ''is that the points they are supposed to have conceded were of no value at all. What really happened was that, with the assistance of Sir Francis Bell, I simply straightened up their language and ideas a*id put them in workable form, in which shape I was prepared to accept them. I offered to Mr. MeAriey and his friends practically the same conditions which the other branches of the service had accepted. He asked for other concessions, which I found it impossible to grant. The granting of the concessions to the locomotive men would have keen grossly unfair to the other railway men and to other branches of the public service."

TRAFFIC MEN RETURN. TROUBLE QUICKLY SETTLED. NO WORK FOR MEN. Wellington, April 30. Mr. Massey had a conference with repreventatives of the A.SJR.S. this mornsng. The conference lasted less than half an hour. Subsequently Mr. Mas»ey stated that the dispute with the A.8.R.8. was settled and as far as they were coacataed the strike would be called off. Mr. Masaey has yet to see the representatives of the locomotive men. The agreement arrived at by the AS.R.S. was considered and endorsed by the Transport Workers' Advisory Board.