OFF DUTY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15752, 20 November 1916, Page 10

OFF DUTY.

RIGHTS OF RAILWAYMEN. "There are signs that the Railway Department is getting tired or ashamed of its restrictions upon the way in which employees may occupy their leisure (states the "Railway Review"). According to .a regulation, one which has been enforced without much discrimination in the past, railwayman must not engage in any occupation for ' gain outside their work for tho Railway j Department. This has been used to I interfere with railwaymen taking 1 boarders, or teaching music f out of \ hours.' A porter who discovered that by a little co-operativc purchasing he and his comrades could save a good deal by buying a ton of potatoes from the grocer was, a few days ago, brought ' under tho official ban for his shocking | interference with the rights of retailers to charge a profit. His enterprise was barred. Now we see some sign of oommonseuso about the official attitude on this question. A deputation of milksellers interviewed the Minister of Railways to complain about a high-placed officer, who owns a dairy farm, competi ing against them in Wellington." I Tho Minister, after considering the case, replied that it was not one for : interference. The Railway Depart- ' ment had never interfered with the ini vestment of money by its employees, nor had it laid down conditions as to how they should spend their time out I of office* hours, as long as their work | during office liourW was not detriment- ! ally affected, or the interests of tho Department injured in any way. "A regulation does exist against trading by employees, but that has been usualJy held to apply to office hours, or trading that would affect a man's work during office hours. It has never been regarded in its literal sense as prohibiting members from putting their private timo to personal wse. The Department. for instance, in manv cases leases railway land to its emploveos, who supplement their wages bv produce off that land, and a s long as the Departmental work is not interfered with, every encouragement is given to them. Anv action of the Department to curtail this liberty would, I am sure bo strongly resented by all the employees."