TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 306, 26 December 1924, Page 3

TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES.

(To the Editor.! Sir.—l will say this of the old company, that they always, whenever it was possible, promoted men from their own I staff to any new position which might be created, or when any important post had to be filled. Have'the City Council continued that policy? I say no. When a traffic superintendent and also a roster clerk were required, who did the City Council appoint? Two men from outside. With all due respect to these gentlemen, we have on the present staff men who are their equals in every respect, as far as tramway administration is concerned, and who should have been appointed before outsiders. This view is efiarcd by the big bulk of the tramway employees. I agree with Paul Kienardson when he says that the present administration has improved the job as regards pay and conditions and employment. But I would like to point out to our friend that the present management is working the system on behalf of the citizens and not as in the puat in the interests of a private coaupuny, who had to pay dividends to their shareholders. I would like to remind our friend that before the war. our tramway system here was in a high state of efficiency and discipline was strict, but owing to the conditions which obtained during the war (conscription bring one of them, which condition did not obtain in Australia) discipline had to be greatly relaxed, and high standards of efficiency, which were always adhered to, had to be lowered. All this has to be taken into consideration when comparing the new administration with the old, and also, when a tramway system has had its standards of efficiency greatly lowered, it takes a long time to get back to its former state. If the older managements were with us at the present juncture it would be interesting to see how they would tackle the motor bus problem. I can assure you there would be something doing.—l' am etc TRAMWAY EMPLOYKE. '