THE RAILWAYS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19985, 21 July 1930, Page 17

THE RAILWAYS.

DISMISSAL OF MEN. MINISTERS STAND FIRM. {*HS PRESS Special Service.] WELLINGTON, July 19. unsuccessful effort to persuade the frlm Minister (the Hon. G. W. Forbes) awl Minister for Railways (the Hon. yf. A. Veitch) to withdraw tho dismissal netiw* issued to employees in the railV*7 workshops, and to reinstate those already dismissed, was made by representatives of the railwayman's organJjations, which waited upon them after tbe House of Representatives rose last evening. While expressing regret at tits circumstances that had arisen, the prime Minister explained that the ailways were in a similar position to * commercial enterprise, and that it uneconomic to run them at a financial loss. Tho present difficulty was juroly a financial one. As it was, the Minister for Railways had asked him for close on £ 2,000,000 to keep the service going. The deputation was introduced by tho Leader cf tho Labour Party, Mr & E. Holland. Ike president of the Amalgamated iidety of Railway Servants, Mr J. Chttrebouse, said the deputation was to ask for reconsideration of the iHwaissala from the railway workshops. There were men under notice of dismissal for to-night—they were there to §ik that those notices be stopped and that thosi; men who had already boen dismissed bo put back until findings had been made by the Government as to the finance it required for the railservice. The Government responsibility did Sot end when the mon were removed frtm the railway service, for they ■welled tho ranks of the unemployed. The Humane Aspect. y There was the humane aspect of the fecition, said Mr Churchouse. It seemed (hat 380 men were to go without consideration* "What the Minister for Railways has done," he added, "is ta ksnd the pruning-knife to the immedi•it superiors of the men, and they are fßtwag out married men with families md retaining single men. I think that mt is wrong in principle. Single MB who have been on only a few ttWlths are being kept on, while Mfßals with long years of serMM ar« being dismissed. Tho policy tttiie past has been that the last man on should be the first to go, all tttßgs being equal. These men with service are going out and men with *? mee aro being retained." fiC'J ngram ' Becreta ry of the Bail- , Tradesmen's Association, entered ■ft emphatic protest against the way the •MB had been dismissed. He knew of •6 previous instance in which men had •Mia dismissed on such a seal It appeared to be not so much a question of Ifcek of work as lack of money which lad induced the Government to take the •taps it had. Mr Ingram asked that definito satisfaction should be given by the Prime Minister before they left the room.

Position Quite Obvious. Mr Veitch said it had beon stated that he could employ men in the workshops if money were available. The position in the shops was quite obvious. They wero large enough to employ an •sontious nmamr of men. However, with ,the revenue and capital moneys available to him for the present year, it was impossible to do more. It was impossible for him to consider every dis1, missal, but he had promised to deal With eases of proved hardship. He was if,wry anxious to meet the situation! and t Is had been extremely pained at having 9* take eruch drastic steps. iy by Prime Minister. to the representations, the iter said that he hardly need hing had given the Minister s greater concern than the >r facing the dismissal of a men. It was only alter the been very carefully gone ich a course was deemed 'he position was this: The t a very formidable compotioad services, and no doubt iously eut into the business so ftit as the railways Were load transport services had te work of the Department, s said that tho matter was a financial one. New workeen provided at an expense 000,000. That meant labourlinery was in operation and t reduction in tho number ;he workshops. The prin* loying men when .they could ably engaged Was not sbund lean the breakdown of any . It was not now possible le same number of men in ps as was the case in the

faune as Private Employers. binlster for Railways, stated Mr i Had asked for £.1,813,000 to bo railways going. Money hat} to by issne of loans, and unless iblic realised that their money t invested in good security they invest. "If I went to the pubI aaid I want up to half a milkeep men on the railway?," Mid fbss.''' that would not be Bound. > fellow the distress that these mean," concluded Mr Forbes, jlr« are in the same position as lon and took no notice of lie position it would soon go out ,aess. The railways can * carry I if-the financial position** npo It. Wo have no desire to d tea, and the whole thing ftk distaissal of *« rt * er eate st fe assist Mr Veitch to avoid any iWssals."