RAILWAY GRIEVANCES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 137, 10 June 1911, Page 9

RAILWAY GRIEVANCES.

CTo the Editor.) Sir, —I was soniewna-t surprised when perusing your columns to see an article dealing with the tradesmen's grievances. Your reporter who interviewed a Newmarket employee, evidently obtained bis information from the wrong man. The labourer who gave the information was not -the xnoutupxece of Lhe wadcsmen. In the first place, we have a branch of the A.S.R.S. at Newmarket x and all our grievances and requirements are piaced before this branch, and they, in turn, forward tuem to the general secretary, Wellington, who deals with them in a businesslike way, and to the entile satisfaction of all concerned, so that when the tradesmen took upon themselves the heavy task of hattling iur an increase of wages, they met in comrrriu.ee, and forwarded their decision to the general secretary, who, in turn, placed the matter before the Minister of Railways. The A.S.R.S. has at last succeeded, we trust, in obtaining lor us, the tradesmen, the much-needed increase. As far as strikes are concerned, this has never crossed the minds of the Newmarket tradesmen. It would be. foolish to entertain the for who could dictate to the Government? Have they not thg supreme power, and would not the tradesmen find they were hopelessly outclassed? So we endeavour to look at things in a broad-minded way. The cost of living has increased considerably. This the Minister admits, for has he not increased the labourers' wages to 8/3| per day and the wood and iron machinists to 10/ per day? These increases we did not oppose, but lent a. helping hand to put them through, so | that we now think we are entitled to a' fair proportion of the earnings of our railways, for are we not the bone and j sinew of the service? And if outside firms are compelled to pay first-class men 11/, why not the railway mechanics? What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

In regard to the management at Newmarket, your informant states that they give entire satisfaction. This is not quite correct. There are pinpricks, which still irritate tbe men, arising largely from tbe fact that the management receive information that should not reach their ears.—l am, etc., TRADESMAN.