TIME OF LAST RACE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29021, 9 October 1959, Page 12

TIME OF LAST RACE

Tramways Union Objection

In deciding to run the last race on each day of its New Year meeting on January 1 and 2 at 6 p.m., the Canterbury Park Trotting Club had breached a longstanding agreement with the Tramways Employees’ Union on race finishing times, said the secretary of the union (Mr L- C. J. Southon) yesterday. For some 15 years the union had had an agreement with the racing and trotting clubs that the last race should finish not later than 4.15 p.m., said Mr Southon. “I am amazed that the Canterbury Park club should alter its time for the last race without consulting the Tramways Union, especially in view of the fact that for many years we have had an agreement with the racing and trotting clubs that they would finish early on Saturdays.’’ he said.

“I’ll certainly be getting in touch with the club over this matter.” Mr Southon said. Mr Southon said that if the last race was run at 6 p.m., men on the early shift (which began at 6 a.m. and finished between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.), would have to return to work and be signed on again after they had finished in order to work the buses returning from the races. “It might be 7 o’clock before some of those men finished,” he said.

The union's main objection to late finishing of races was that these early-shift men had to finish work late, and so have what was virtually their one free night in the week cut into. Mr Southon said.

The union’s award required that they would have to be signed on for the late-afternoon race work before 5 p.m. and work thereafter would be at penalty rates, which comprised double time on Saturdays. Most members of the union were not looking for work at penalty rates, Mr Southon said. The penalty rates in the award were designed rather to discourage the employees being worked excessive hours.

The matter would certainly be discussed at the annual meeting of his union on Sunday, Mr Southon said.

RADIOGRAPHERS’ CONFERENCE

Lecture By Dr. G.

Rolleston

A lecture on diagnostic techniques in kidney examinations by the director of radiology at the Christchurch Hospital (Dr. G. Rolleston) opened the second day’s work for the conference of the New Zealand Society of Radiographers yesterday. In the morning all the delegates attended a technical demonstration in the radiotherapy department of the hospital when a physicist (Mr J. J. Tait) dealt with the plotting of isodose curves in relation to radio therapeutic equipment.

The afternoon session began with the presentation of papers by two Dunedin radiographers. Miss A. Miller spoke on heart catheterisation and Mrs W. Williamson spoke on the various aids used to produce better X-rays Delegates then visited the Dominion X-ray and Radium Laboratory.