The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: TUESDAY, JAN. 26. ALLEGED "LOAFING."

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXV, Issue 2125, 26 January 1909, Page 4

The Clutha Leader. BALCLUTHA: TUESDAY, JAN. 26. ALLEGED "LOAFING."

The memorandum sent by Mr Ronayne, General Manager of the Bailways, to the Addington Workshops, will have come somewhat in the nature of a surprise to most people. The surprise in the first instance will be at the condition of affairs which made Mr lionayne feel it encumbent upon himself to take such precipitate action, and, in the second, that-the Mjnwter of Railways, the Hon. Mr Millar, is evidently disposed to tako the same view as* his chief executive officer. It is certainly rather peculiar that th<i conclusions' arrived at by the Minister and Mr lionayne have been the result of statements made by u visitor to the works. Truly enough, the visitor may be, as the Hon. Mr Millar says, " a man who knows exactly what he is talking about," but surely the statements of the visitor were not the only information available as to how things were going in the workshops. The probability is, that the conclusions of the man who "knew exactly what he was talking about" confirmed those previously held by Mr lionayne, and the Hon. Mr Millar also. It is quite evident chat they are both of tho opinion that the work is costing more than it should, and Mr Millar makes no secret of his dissatisfaction with the conditions at present existing. Ho fails to see why the Government workshops should not turn out work as cheaply as any private firm, and if they ate not doing this he says the question will have to be considered whether it is not in the interests of the country to call for tenders from private linns and keep the Government Workshops f or repairing only. Of course (here must be the strictest enquiry into the whole question. We are afraid political influence has had a good deul to do with men getting billets, and that efficiency was too often only u secondary consideration. The same political influence was detrimental to discipline, and while it existed the foreman was liable at anv moment to have his authority flouted". The man who could "pull the strings" was (he man who was sure of a billet, and the ollicer in charge had very little say. . Side by side with 'this is the_ growing tendency to keep the various classes of labour at a dead level. The man who exerted himself and tried to improve his position, do more work and earn a higher wage, was discouraged and laughed at by his fellows his right that a fair wage should be fixed, and it is also right that every man should do a fair day's work. Some men can do more and earn more than others, and to say that they should not do so does not make f or that progress and efficiency which is an essential element in all avenues of industry. Whether Mr lionaync's memorandum turns out to be altogether justified or not, we welcome it as an indication that, in the future, efficiency will count for more, and political influence for less and less, as time goes on.