The next motion stands in my name, and, of course, the notice that appears in the papers to-day has caused it to be unnecessary. I had never imagined that any Committee could be so small as a Committee of one, but, in any case, if the Committee was small in person, that person was both large and a host in himself. In withdrawing the motion, I would just like to take the opportunity of asking the President of the Ministry if he has any statement to make respecting the settlement.
POSTAL STRIKE.
The Government statement, or at least the agreed statement, which was published this morning, describes the situation as it was understood last night by the Government and by those who acted for the men; but in this evening's Press appears a statement from the Headquarters of the Postal Union at 4, Cavendish Row. That statement reads: "The official announcement regarding the Post Office wage settlement, which appears in this morning's Press is a classical example of the art of face-saving. The terms of the agreement under which the strike has been called off are: three-eighths of the total cut to take effect from the 1st September, and the balance on the 1st December. The actual effect of this agreement is that our members continue to hold the Douglas award. The Postal Commission will resume its sittings at once with a view to having the Final Report available before the 1st December. The staffs on strike are hereby instructed to resume work on Saturday, the 30th instant, or as soon thereafter as the Executive's instructions reaches them.
"Signed on behalf of the Joint Strike Executive.
"D.R. HOGAN, Irish Postal Union.
"F. PARKES, Irish Postal Workers' Union.
"H.H. DONNAN, Irish P.O. Engineering Union."
Now, without asking for it, I have just received this letter:—
"18, Wexford Street,
Dublin,
29/9/'22.
"Dear Mr. President,
"My attention has been drawn to the statement issued by the Postal Unions, and I wish to point out that their reference to face-saving is ridiculous in view of the fact that I have the signatures of their leaders agreeing to the issue of the statement setting forth the agreement exactly as published in the Press to-day.
"While it is true that the Postal Commission will resume its work at an early date, I would like to make it clear that I gave no undertaking as to the date of the Report, and I explained that the agreement reached was in no way contingent on the report of the Commission.
"Mise le meas,
(Sgd.), JAMES G. DOUGLAS."
I have only to add that the Government cannot see its way to take back Mr. D.R. Hogan, Mr. F. Parkes, or Mr. H.H. Donnan until that statement is withdrawn.
I would like to say a word or two on the last statement of the President.
The motion on the paper has been withdrawn, and in withdrawing it Deputy Figgis merely asked the President for a statement.
The Dáil did not sanction the withdrawal. I suggest the matter should be left open, and the discussion should proceed. He can withdraw it afterwards.
It was not moved and so falls to the ground.
In order that the matter should be in order, I formally move it.
I want to refer to the statement made by the President, as I had a good deal to do with the settlement of the Post Office strike. I regret that this statement, which appears in the evening paper, has been published. I consider it, in the circumstances, an unwise statement, as when a strike is over and settled, it should remain settled, and the least said about it on one side or the other the better. We know, of course, that when we are parties to a fight, each side will fight its best to see that it wins, and we must, I think, make certain allowances for that human failing. There are two statements, to which the President has drawn special attention, and I think they need special attention. One is to the effect that the official statement published this morning is a classical example in the art of face saving. I think Mr. Douglas's letter to the President has disposed sufficiently of that, inasmuch as he (Mr. Douglas) states, and I agree with him, that notwithstanding this evening's statement, the men saw the statement before it was published, and knew what was in it. The second statement to which reference is made in Mr. Douglas's letter is the following:—"The Postal Commission will resume its sittings at once with a view to having a final report available before 1st December." Mr. Douglas has said in his letter that he gave them no undertaking that the Commission would do its best to report as soon as possible. Now, I consider the issuing of the statement by the men as unwise, but if I do so, I consider the action suggested by the President equally unwise, and, in my opinion, not at all a punishment suited to the alleged crime. I think it is, in my opinion, attaching altogether too much importance to it for the President publicly to victimise or humiliate three men who signed this statement. After all, if we examine the statements, we will find that they are not of the serious import that the President attached to them: "The official announcement with regard to the Post Office wage settlement which appeared in this morning's Press is a classical example of the art of face-saving." It might be argued that it is saving the faces of the men. It does not say that the Government are saving their faces. There may be some face-saving from the point of view of the men, and I think the statement with regard to the Commission does not stray sufficiently far from the facts of the case to warrant the importance that the President attached to it by stating in this Dáil that these three man would not be taken back to work. I put it to the President, is it, at this stage of this dispute, a wise thing to take this action with regard to these three men of having done what is at most a foolish act? I respectfully suggest that it is not of sufficient importance to make it a State affair in this way. The men in their statement have practically contradicted themselves, although they do open out with this flourish of face-saving. They go on to say: "The staffs on strike are hereby instructed to resume work on Saturday, the 30th instant, or as soon thereafter as the Executive's instruction reaches them." They have called off the strike. Some of the men are going in at 12 o'clock to-night, and they will all be at work to-morrow morning. If the Government persists in the action announced by the President, we are in for more trouble, and I do not think there is anyone in this Dáil or this country wants more trouble in this Postal business, and I respectfully suggest that the President, having made this statement, thereby attaching a certain gravity to it, should withdraw the latter part of the statement, and not take any notice of the matter further than publishing Mr. Douglas's letter to him, which sufficiently justifies the action of the Government.
I am surprised that the three Postal servants would use such words, or even try to convey the impression to the public that the President of the Government of Ireland and his Ministry would be face-saving, and I think Mr. O'Connell should use his good offices to ask those three gentlemen to withdraw those words in the interest of peace.
I take the same view as Mr. O'Connell. It may be the men he referred to are face-saving. I do not know who the men are who signed that statement, but it is not fair that the implication is that the Government is face-saving.
If I may make a suggestion it is that this matter should not be further discussed here.
We may make the matter worse. I do not think we would make it any better just here.
How can you expect these men to resume work to-morrow if three men will be victimised?
It is not victimisation. We want the truth.
Perhaps the best thing for me to do would be to withdraw my motion at once?
I think so.
I think it should be recognised that this is the method that the Union has adopted of approachings its own people, and they are continuing that method. They may be foolish. I think they are. But it is a statement purporting to go from the secretaries to their own members, and it should be treated as such.
The motion has been withdrawn, and the matter is at an end as far as this Dáil is now concerned.