THE HOME STRIKE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10408, 31 August 1911, Page 5

THE HOME STRIKE

CABLE NEWS

United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.

TAKING OF EVIDENCE

(Received Last Night, 9.35 o'clock.)

LONDON, August 30

Mr Fox, on behalf of the Engineers' and Firemen's Society, testified before the Commission that hundreds of cases of irritation arose in the conditions of service outside the purview of the Conciliation scheme. He instanced the fines, and said the men had been punished unjustifiably, and were not allowed to prove their innocence. They had no means of redress. Conciliation, he said, was an absolute failure, and was not dealing with the questions vitally affecting the men. The recognition of the Unions was necessary to prevent strikes. He suggested that a tribunal of t;vo .masters and two men', with an independent, should settle the disputes when local efforts failed. He wias prepared to concede that workmen breaking an honourable agreement should not receive financial assistance. He declined to give a direct reply as to whether those who were carrying out the awards should be protected from the interference of those' opposing them. Mr Louth, Secretary of the General Railway Workers, /complained of the growth of casual and the reduction of permanent workers, resulting in the companies concessions only being applied to the permanent workers. Owing to the absence of a recognition'of Unions, they had lost their influence, and in their early efforts to keep the men working in the late strike they failed. An objectionable feature to the Conciliation Board was the lengthy period of awards preventing application for increased w*ages, however much the company prospered. Other witnesses favoured the Board of Trade to umpire with two assessors representing the fuestions of the mer. in preference to separate Boards.