LABOUR MATTERS AT LYTTELTON.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9365, 14 March 1896, Page 9

LABOUR MATTERS AT LYTTELTON.

The Hon. A. J. Cadman, Minister for Railways, visited Lyttelton yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of enquiring into the alleged grievancas of the labourers at Port with regard to the manner in which the work on the railways there is carried out.

Mr Cadman was accompanied by Mr T. Ronayne, General Manager. On arriving at Lyttelton tbe Minister was met by Messrs P. Burke aud J. G. Wood, President and Secretary of the Casual Wharf Labourers' Union.

The meeting was held at>the Council Chambers, and a large number of men were present. Mr J. Stinaon, Mayor of Lyttelton, occupied the chair.Ou our reporter enquiring of the Minister, he was informed the promoters of the Conference desired that tbe Press representatives should nob be admitted. Our reporter gathered, however, that the complaints re the employment of permanent men on the railway at Port, to the exclusion of casual hands; the present system of working overtime, whereby the permanent haud3 were booked off when work was alack, and forced to make up their forty-eight hours per week by overtime when work was plentiful, and other matters objected to were laid before the Minister. He was also reminded that the Premier, when speaking at the Drillshed, Lyttelton, on tho eve of the general election, had promised, if the present Government were again returned to power, th*t the grievances should be redressed, and Mr Cadman said he knew nothing of that promise. He. also pointed out it was impossible for him to fully grasp ail the points in a meeting like that, and asked thnt a few of ihotv pre.ent should remain behind ana

submit the matters to writing, to enable him to enquire into them more fully. This suggestion was acted on and shortly afterwards the meeting dispersed.