FIFTY YEARS OF UNIONISM

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21733, 16 March 1936, Page 4

FIFTY YEARS OF UNIONISM

JUBILEE CELEBRATED AT SMOKE CONCERT amalgamated society of RAILWAY SERVANTS The golden jubilee of the formation of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was celebrated by the Canterbury branch of the society at a smoke concert held in' the Carlyle Street Hall on Saturday evening. Several pioneer members of the society were present as guests of honour with Messrs E. J. Howard, M.P., and E. S. Brittenden, district traffic manager. Apologies for absence were received from the Minister for Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, and the Minister for Employment, the Hon, H. i. Sstrong. There was aJull^endance presided over by Mr Hane, Mr W.'S. E. Moyle, secretary of the branch, proposing the toast of fee pioneer members, spoke of the debt of gratitude fee present members owed to the pioneers for their courage infounding fee union in spite of official opposition. The placing in power of the Labour party was a reflection of their work which should give them great pleasure in fee evening of their SS Messrs W. Flowers. Stackhouse. C Aldridge, J- Butler, and 3. Elhott, a former vice-president of the society, replied giving many reminiscences of the early days of the movement. Th?toast, ‘The New Zealand Parliament” was given by Mr W. Rodgers, SomSer at Christchurch, who made reference to fee honour done to railwayman by the recent appointment of two former railway servants to the Legislative Council. He paid a tribute to fee service given to the railways by Mr Howard m his 15 years as a member of the railways committee of the House, and asked fee gathering to couple Mr Howard s name with that Of the toast. ..... .. . In reply, Mr Howard said feat fee most important toast of the evening was feat of fee pioneer members, by whose courage and foresight had been built up a society which was, so he had been informed, numerically and financially fee strongest workers organisation south of the Equator. .New Zealand was entering a new phase in its history. It had a Cabinet that, accustomed to mental and physical labour, was now going to S}ve the utmost energy and devotion which its members possessed to the good of the country. Naturally when it came to choosing fee Cabinet, fee older members of fee party were eagerly waiting to see who would be called. He had been among fee first to be sent for, and although xi t made a Minister, a position had be-/ held for him until recently by Mr 3 ivage. He had refused it because ie could not bring himself to leave fee friends he had found in the early days of fee Labour movement. Claiming, through his father, probably the earliest connexion with fee society of any of those present, Mr Brittenden gaye fee toast of fee Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. By instances of conditions of the service he showed the improvements which the society had been able to effect for the benefit of its members. At fee time when his father was a guard, the main lines as they existed in Canterbury to-day were not even half completed, vet the guards had at times to work 2.0 hours a day for six days in succession. He praised the work of the secretary, Mr Moyle, whose quiet insistence made him a powerful and respected advocate for fee rights and needs of fee society. Mr H. H. Hey responded, appealing to those present for stronger support and larger membership. , The toast Societies" was proposed by Mr A. McNichol, and responded to by Messrs D. Sloan, Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association. S. J. Roscoe, Railway Officers’ Institute, and W. Young, Engine Firemen and Cleaners’ Association. Items were given during the evening by Messrs G. Titchener, C. Pitt, H. Beechener, C. Goggin, J. Falconer, and Nunnerley. Mr F. Harbidge was accompanist.