THE TRAMWAY TROUBLE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16358, 1 November 1918, Page 7

THE TRAMWAY TROUBLE.

« j SO CHANGE IN TIIE POSITION, j , TWO MORK MEN DISMISSED. j There is I'ttle that is fresh to report in regard to the trntnw v dispute. The trafli • y sirrf! y v. a- rln;:t the same as usual, mid a subtly t-uita :rd W as run vitli no inc-uor. or unduly slow running. It was riunmue-1 l 1; 3 . 1 / more employer* p H'-md .i I dismWod. ''lit .Mr V- 1 b'-' | Srat manner, .-late:, i!.»t only two , Son, both cnd.ut,,.-,. have been d.,pensed with. Their nauu,; ..re George Gearrv and R. Yore If:-, and they aro nl'eged tn have I>»p:i pro: s:> neglectful "f tW 'duties. The general manager states that a good many :•<« now coming in fmm tho inenvi: rs of tha rjitblic with regard to t.ie manner in which some conductors are car: y'Jifi outth'oir duties, and all these comp aints will be made the Mibject ot pronr t and thorough investigation by the Board s position at present is that tho "Union has agreed to hold n conferenco with the B"ard, under the chairm nslup of Mr W. H. Hnggcr, Ccncil ation Commissioner providing the men dismissed S! SnFol, If tl.o Brard «bt.« to the«e propositions the normaj running of the trams will be immediately re* sumed, pending"the result of tho conferenfl)'e Board, for its part, states cannot entertain the Union s proposals, but that anv proposals for a conference will bo considered when the normal running of the trams is resumed. "The Board," remarked Mr «• Hunter, secretary of tho Union, to a "Press" reporter yesterday, "lujparontlv wants unconditional surrender from the Union." Mr Hunter also stated that tho Union believed that tho .Board had dismissed the men without giving them the consideration which was their loga] due. The men had been dismissed without notice, and had been given ono week's wages in lieu of such notice. They had not b;*>n given any opportunity to defend themselves. In reply to this statement the general manager stated that Clause 12 of the award provided that on a, report against an employee being received the mail concerned must be notified of tho nature of the complaint within fortyaight hours. All the men had been notified well within this time, and thoy had not so far, exercised their right of appeal. The men had not the right to forty-eight hours' notico of dismissal. Clause 7 of tho award provided that "not loss than ono week's notice of termination of engagement shall bo given by the Board or its employe-s, but this shall not prevent the Board from dismissing any employee for good and substantial cause, without notice, subject in all cases to an appeal by tho employees." , As Mr W. H. Hagger, the Conciliation Commissioner, is at present confined to his bed with influenza . and the chairman of the Board lias to Wellington, there seems little likelihood or the dispute being carriod anv further •until nest week, when something may come of the Union's week-end meetings. TO THE EDITOR OF "THfe PRESS." Sir, —Quite a number of correspondents have written letters in reference to the above, rll of which are, no doubt, written with the best- of intentions. Some of them are very much appreciated, and I hereby tender the thanks of the Union, also my own, to all friends and sympathisers with the tramway mon in their strenuous battle with' the Tramway Board to get the latter'a kind permission to bo allowed tho privilege of earning a livelihood, in this a~:> of exploitation, in 48 hours, oven if i 'io 49 hours is spread over n 72-hour we< k. The men ask for a minimum of Is -Id per hour. £3 4s per week. According to the latest figures issued bv the Government Statistician, Mr IVfalcOlm Fraser, it takes 28s Id to purchase to-day what could bo purchased in 1914 for 20s. Each sovereign is worth Us lid to-day when applied to the pujv chase of groceries, dairy produce, and meat. These are the tliree fcod groups dealt with in relation to the cost of living. These figures show a4O per cent, inorease on pre-war .prices. Could the tramwaymen prevont tnis increased cost in th«sr food bill P To show how modest their present demand is compared with its purchasing power, I have ?iuoted tho Statistician's figures in reerence to our own town, and he shows that £3 4a has n purchasing power today of £1 18s 13d when applied to the purchase of food. But and their wives and families requiro other things besides, and the Statistician is silent in reference to hoots, drapery, nnd the one hundred and one items requirod in a well-equipped household. These things, boots, clothing, ctc., have advanced more than 40 per cent. Bants have doubled in price, and clothing alsi. Every honest man and woman recognises this, and therefore supports the 'Tramway Union in its claims for an increase in wages. Thov realise, also, that the tramwaymen are not asking enough. The Honourable John Barr states that a conductor's eight hours are only spread over 11 hours and 42 minutes a day on tho average. Only! Good heavens! How maily hours .would the honourable gentleman liko to sprend them over if ho had his way? Of coarse, in the opinion of tho honourable gentleman perhups, a conductor's time Is of no consideration whatever, seeing that ho is only prepared to allow him la lji per hour, 83 10d per day, of eight hours, spread over 11 hours 42 minutes. The-' honourable gentleman values his own time more highly, howover. 1 would liko to know how many hours he pats in in tho Legislative Connci] to earn his £200 honorarium. As chairman of the Board, he receives two gnineas per sitting, and his eight colleagues each jjet a guinea. They arrange the meetings for four or five o'clock in the afternoon so that they can v adjourn, to the cosy soats of the board room and listen to tho report of tho general manager with pleasant anticipation of the early arrival of the adjournment and tho satisfaction oi guineas having been "earned." It is quite easy for gentlemen in such cosy circumstances to agree with the manager, or amongst themselves in their pleasant ana hftrmoniway. that their employees, who are really responsible for the smooth and efficient working of the wholo servico, are bighwajmen when they ask for a minimum wage of one pound eighteen shillings and one penny threo farthings worth of the necessaries of life lin retnrn for forty-eight hours' work,! which is. only spread over 70 hours and IS minutea, according to tho honourabk gentleman. . It is np to the public to take mor< interest in the Tramway Board that •hpy have done in the past. Every thing is "done in committee" at tn< present time, for the purpose of keep jng the latepayers in tho dark in rela Jon to matters of vital importance Tne public should know the opinion 0 ill members of the Board upon vir.a Questions; and especially in regard ti the present trouble with tho employees Star Chamber methods are not bscom mg to a public corporation handling th people's money in the twentieth cen tory. "Wake up! Christchurch.—Yours ©to,* HIRAM HUNTER, Secretary Tramway Union.