THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1912. SIR JOSEPH AS PEACEMAKER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10552, 7 February 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1912. SIR JOSEPH AS PEACEMAKER.

The part played by t Sir Joseph Ward in the settlement of the tramway dispute in Wellington has been referred to 'in various terms by the newspapers. Some have gone so far as to •phristen him "Joseph, the Peacemaker." The official version of what transpired hardly justifies the conferring of such a distinction upon our greatest aristocrat. Indeed, it discounts the suggestion that Sir Joseph Ward's offer of mediation had anything 'whatever to do with the settlement of the strike. The ' official account of the proceedings, as given by the Town Clerk to the New Zealand Times, is &a follows:

morning the Prime Minister sent a message to the Acting Mayor in which he said he would like to meet the Council at 'about twenty minutes to 11. o'clock, and asked whether it would be convenient and acceptable for him to do so. A reply in the affirmative 'was sent and arrangements were at once made to call the councillors together at the time named. The Prime Minister briefly addressed the

meeting, and offered his services its mediator if it was thought lie could be of any use in securing a settlement of the dispute. 'At the same time lie made it cl6ar that he did not desire iu any way to interfere with what the council inul done unless the council desired that lie should do so. The Council thanked inni for his courtesy, and immediate 1 }- proceeded to discuss the 1 business before it. The Prime Minister remained in the chamber. r i lie outcome of the discussion wai. that Or Atlriui soil, 'after consultation with other councillors, moved a new clause in the agreement. As there seemed to be a possibility that the council would accept the new clause, it was thought desirable ill order to save time, to submit it to the .strike committee ihefore proceeding- with the .discussion. Thereupon the Prime Minister offered to convey to the strike committee the resolution in its completed form— that was the full agreement—as it would foe- passed by the qougcil if it agreed. The offer was accepted. Upon the Prime Minister's return and his announcement that the strike delegates had accepted the resolution unanimously in the presence of the 'Strike committee, the City Council, having had the ' resolution put to it formally, j passed it unanimously also. The I town clerk was then authorised to have copies of the agreement typed out, and .the strike delegates were sent for in order that all' might sign ■ it. This was done.". The leader of the Labour Party claimed that "it was organised labour that controlled matters right throughout, and that should be credited with the victory just secured." Mr P. 'Bally, the Conciliation Connmissioiner, seems to have suggested that,it Mas he who settled the dispute by recommending the Council to give Inspector Fuller • another position. Councillor Atkinson, who moved the new clause in the agreement, will also probably claim some-credit for the settlement. But whoever was responsible, the fact remains that Sir Joseph Ward had little more to do with it than had the man in the moon. The cheers he received when he announced from the steps of the Town Hall that a settlement had been arrived at must have been a pleasant change from the reception accorded him on the night of the 'j second ballot. And as he drove I away, he must have laughed up his sleeve as he realised how beautifully he had fooled the crowd. But the official statement of the Town Clerk | knocks all the honour and glory right ! out of the thing. Sir Joseph Ward i did well to offer his servTces. He did wihat any other man in his position might have been expected to do. And i.t is unfortunate fox;, him that his, services were really not required, and that the opportunity of adding "Peacemaker'' to his already long list of titles, was absolutely lost.