THE PREMIER AND THE RAILWAY SERVANTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 114, 6 February 1908, Page 6

THE PREMIER AND THE RAILWAY SERVANTS.

1 , 'RESENTATION OF AN ADDRESS. APPRECIATION AND CONGRATULATION. SPEECii BY SIR J WARD. Last , evening delegates from the' Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants waited ill the Premier (tho Right Hon.' Sir Joseph \Vard) at his residence; " Awaruai" aiid presented him with an'address. The text of the address was as follows The Riglit Hon. Sir Joseph Ward,' K.C.M.G., Minister for Railways and Premier-of New Zealand.':' . Dear Sir,—The; members . of the: Amalgamated/Society r of Railway Ser-. .; vants of New Zealand , respectfully ' beg to convey to yoir tlieir nigh appreciation of the many and valued con-; ' :• - cessions.whiolviyou;have,"secured, for ' ■ -!. the railway, servants, during the period in,,. Which ".you. have. heeiVt Ministerial head of tho Department.! Bv resolution of our' Society it has been resolved to present to you x tllis i address with'appreciation of your successful 'efforts'.in establishing the.Gov- v : ernment Railways ;Superammatibn . l<und; raising, th.6 standard of «;age | ! • cue introduction,'of..the:4B hour Week / ; for tte .staff,'and .the mah'y ' btfcer . toft- , . cessions which the Servants how enjoy. ' The repeated expansion', of thb service during the past rfew j'years'v'has , - imposed upon, us more arduous'duties < and responsibilities; but,it has been to '''u^'a'matter'ofV^^t'co'dgratulatibn'in. . feeling that you have ever extended to the staff a kindly and considerate feel-v : ing,~ which has been deeply appreciated. ■ " ■■■•■;■' . .. . We also desire to. congratulate you . uponi your . accession to\the Premiership of New Zealand, and- trust that, ■ • you may be ; spared- many • jfears. in which: to!:continue: your, pood work,in .! - the_interests ofthe; Dominion audits ; people. ' ; Herevfollow the-.signatutes of 'the Executive Council of the ' Amalgamated Socjety of Hailway Servants,/ 190b-08 ; Viz., Jamea Walkqr - (president)o; A. Dimohd (viee-pro-siident)) 0. Skinner (trea&urer),-W. Tsd- : (genferal seoretary)jMi Leej/J!. Hislop, F. Wilson, >G! ~o,^Loughlm,' ■H. ■ S.. Roecoe, .El, HeigiitonJ'TVVßirdi and J/ Alierh, Coun'Cillors. Below again 'are tile; following signatures of the delegates to the. Iyo6 .Coil- i „feronfce (—J;,, Mack, .E. .J. .O'lveene, ■D, 'Dwyer, W/'A'.'Vbitciv'Jl. Lee," J." Whitman, . J. Gariey ( D. G.- Simth, Johft Davrson, 7 EdWard Canief6h;'o.*'E. *• Holmes, 'J»\ H> Gainerodj D. M.'Th&maS, E. 'j.; Patter-' son.JamesAhern^'JvM'Nab. 1 -. • ;. The address war'hiihdsomely bound m red morocco,' .bearing the Premier'f* monogram artistically', picked out on ; the front cover. The • teit ' h&d - the JillUmihati6h , s--'u%re also , Very, cleverly and .tastefully executed. .■ , . > Mr. J. Dimond (vice-'prbsident of'the So- - ci6ty) acted for his colleagues' in handing the*presontation,to,the Premier.' _'Hb apologised, for the vabseitce, of. theipresident (Mr. Walker),"'' wliich"'was"uhavbldaoleP that', the!: members ' of the AiMlgainated; Society, had decided; two-years tb: present the /address, bnt iust when: the details were \ prepared; it-iraaVdestoyed . cbinb and Tomhs' fire. The ]Meseht!6ne had > thereupon been prepared. , He wished, on behalf of those servants who had at-various _ timi:s \made, representations rto the Premier concerning'railway men,'.to state that they •^werS»-at«fUls Had. v been shown thein. and fdr the consideration - given to their representations. _ . Mr, J. ; Edwards (genoral .secretary) said , the; members of' the ' remember 1 tho gW>at kindness showh ! them dimngvth&'.tmsy time, Sir had hid last session in of the. require- • , inents ■ of the various branches of the .service. Mr. iDi'.Skinrieif,: on' behalf ,of:theMaAa-v watu railway employees,! expressed.,gratefulness . at'; their \ inclusion- in the Suporahniiiaitioiif Scheme..i Bei(ores.TWv^to' s .9 0 . ■' 4®°% they would all be membors of the State railway service. r :r' x ' V,Mr..' Ahfirn: (166bftotiVe ; Stiitt),;:,and; Mr W. 'Leo'j another'me^ber|bf::th6'.depUtatii)n, also spoke. ' . - v.-v...-.- : . THE PREMIER'S REPtV; . The Preriiier warmly thanked the 'deputa tion for their address!: He whs; glad to liavi" been ab)e!to 'hav6 assisted in, bringing intd operation tlie eight-hours 1 dajj for the rail' way employees. It was making aii lnrbad on thb; physical' capabilities ;of men-to expcot theni t6'work longer than eight hours m hafd- employment. From the point of view bf good results it ;^a^ better,to have a system of definite fixed hours for the railthan . tho,'pldi order bf lphg.. hdurs with its attendant strain. In the long ru'n the' nbw . system wbuld :.yield . far -the best results. ; And, when !men\were to • work,' unavbidtthly, beyond lh<it time,' they should recbive''fair rfecognitibh of their services.!: As tb thfe Athiilgftfnatea Sofcifety> the Premier had 1 , alwtiys .recogi'iised the value, of this Society to the employes.: ; It; wa^vgry much better'fbr the servants as, a ,whole> instead of relying u]boii. outside pressure, to have a well-a6crcdited executive attached to the Atoalgamated SooietyiHvhicir could make representationsin .a proper: Way. . All representations that were made were carefully Considered frbnV tho side of the sermts as Well ii's from' the jibint' of ;Vibw of the Department. Hb reforred to thb the Go'veriUncnt had. had tb face in providing a classification ! scheriib ;, improved. pay, for wr*. h. thousand and one Smfall-things >iii h. Cbnniry feuch ; as,this^where-tnohey,.was required fbr developinMit purposes. The Sbbiety, ho proeoetlid. was' tt body of' jireat" usefulness, ■ and' it lika on rnovb tliatt one occasiolvprbved this bbth tb tlie management ?f the Depart- ' lVibftt and to the A Goverrihibnt.' He felt Sure . thoy would allow, liini to; say it Was Tar better , to attempt ,to obtain solid and practical ad- # • \ vantages, instead of trying, to'get what he might tbrni _visibnAry things. • He acknowledged the 'kindly • sentiments expressed', and whs exceedingly obliged'to 'those who were ' abibht' as, well ,aS " those present. He*'alSo desirbd ; to thahk the employees of the'Mafta> watu Railway ; Company for tlieir appreciation. No distinbtibn, when: the merging of tho line took place, Would be made! between the tfro sets of employees. ' ; '