END OP THE STRIKE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1920, Page 4

END OP THE STRIKE.

The railway strike came to a somewhat sudden end on Saturday evening. The Prime Minister refused to give way to the demands of the men, and made a strong appeal to the country to support the Government in defeating the strikers, when it was announced that the secretary of the loco, association had broken down in health, and that the executive was unable to continue negotiations without his aid. As a matter of fact, the strikers were playing a losing game, and the leaders only realised the fact at the eleventh hour. The leaders have been badly advised, from the beginning, or they never would have allowed the men to strike, especially at a time when the Prince of Wales and hiis party were the guests of the country. Either that or they had no influence over the rank and file, who saw in the visit a good opportunity of getting in a shattering blow. The effect has been what could have been anticipated. They simply exasperated the public, and lost that sympathy without which they never could have succeeded by direct action methods. The strike has again exemplified the futility of striking when there are other means provided for settling disputes. The cause of the men has in no way been promoted, the country has been put to very heavy losses, inconvenience has been caused all round, and the hospitality of the country, for the first time in the history of New Zealand, has been tarnished. The Conciliation Commission that has been set up can be trusted to deal fairly with ail the matters in dispute, fcr everyone is anxious to see the fair thing done by our public servants, and especially those, like the raihvaymcu, whose duties are difficult and responsibilities heavy. The Government, it must be said, has been very tardy in dealing with the men's grievances, and the strike should serve as an object lesson to the Government of the danger of a policy of drift when grievances arise in any department of the public service. The restoration of the railway service to-day will be a source of much gratification, and it is to be hoped that we will never again see a section of the workers take the law into their own hands and endeavor to bludgeon the country into acceptance of their demands. We thought "we had Ion? pas-f----ed that primitive stage in our industrial development.