APPEALS FAIL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 148, 26 June 1939, Page 3

APPEALS FAIL.

TRAM MEN'S CASE.

SELECTIONS SUSTAINED. INSPECTORS' APPOINTMENTS. Decision of the Auckland Tramways Appeal Board in the case involving the appointment of six new inspectors at the end of last year has been issued, and was this morning received at the meeting of the Auckland Transport Board. The appeals of S. C. Hamblin. C. Graham and L. X. Payne against the appointments were held to have failed.

Applications were called on Xovember 2. 10:? S. from traffic employees with not loss than five years' experience. Seven inspectors were to lie appointed as and when required during the ensiling 12 months. A total of 104 men applied for the positions. Two later withdrew. The applicants pre-ented themselves for a written examination. Those who obtained 7"> marks, and afterwards some who obtained 70. were orally examined. From these six employees were promoted. Selection was undertaken by the cue;ineer and manager. Mr. A. K. Ford, am! the method of selection was one that had been employed for several years past, -tated the judgment, and it represented a definite 'effort to estimate fairly the eflicieiu-y of the applicants as defined in the agreement between the union and the Transport iioard. '•There was nothing unfair in the .piesti ";- nor in the manner of conducting the examination." continues the findino. "In estimating those personal ipi.ilifirntio'.is which the notice s'tated applicants must possess, it is not possible t-. lay down any general rules, and it is obvious that reliance must be placed on the integrity of the officer appointed by the Tramways Board. The board appointed its most responsible " officer. and that officer was concerned only to a.-certain whether the applicants pos.-e-sod the (|ualitios with which he was concerned. It was impossible to find fault with the method of selection."

After reviewing the case? of several of the men concerned, the board states that although the employees' representative on the appeal board, Mr. .T. Lidd*dl. dissented on the ground that more coiisidernt ion should have been given to seniority, and that the methods of examination of the applicants for appointment by the management should lie altered, a majority of the Board of 'Appeal was of opinion that the appointments had been made after careful consideration of the qualification!! of the applicant* under a clause of the agreement expressly providing that efficiency rather than seniority should be the decisive factor. The appeals, therefore, would not be allowed.

Chairman of the Hoard of Appeal is Mr. YV. R. McKean, S.M.. the two other members in the ease being the Hon. H. (1. K. Mason, ex-chairman of the Transport Board, and Mr. Liddell.