RAILWAY SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 690, 15 December 1909, Page 8

RAILWAY SERVICE.

PROPOSED NEW 0-BCANISATI6N. JSEPORT OF COMMITTEE TO HOUSE, ,* i v _; NO PRESENT STEPS TO BE TAKEN. Upon the various petitions fiom enginei dnvors, firemen, and cleaners in tho railway service praying that official recognition ho. qranted to "thorn as a separate organisation, tho Railways Committee reported yesterday to Bib House as follows.— . i "That in the opinion of tho committee tht Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants has represented the engino-dnvers, firemen, and cleaners eqnally as well as tho i other sections of the railway servico 1 "That doo prominence has always been , , Riven to the requirements of tho drivers, , ftromon, and cleaners when tho Railway Department hos been approached by tho I delegates of the Amalgamated Society of i Railway Servants. "That by internal reorganisation of tho ' 'BOCioty, tlie petitioners could always get direct representation on tho executive of 1 the Amalgamated Socictj of Railway Servants. • , "That as th« Bailway Department is a State Department it is dosirable that one representative body shonld place tlio requirements of the men before tho Dcpart- ! Went, the Minister, and Parliament - 'That having gone exhaustively into tho evidonce, and-having given tho fullest consideration to tho prayer of the petitioners, tho committee has no recommendation to t make." Mr. Hogan (Wanganni), chairman of the committee, moved that tho report lie on the tablo of tho Honso. Case for the Drivers, Mr. T. E. Taylor (Christehurch North) said vtJio onjjinc-dmers nnd firemen had felt for \years past that their interests were not getting from tho Amalgamated Society tho amount of i consideration they deserval There was a natural conflict betneeh No 1 and No *' •■ 2 dm "ions of the service Ho thought \ tho time had como when an able member of No. 2 division should be ablo to rise to No. 1 Tho Mini&tor had promised to consider tho question of the drivers and firemen forming a separate organisation whon they had a total / ■of 1000 members Hβ thought that tho number i , of tho petitioners was now 1100, the total number of drivers and firemen being only 1100. Hq conld 'not seo why tho application ot these men should not bo granted Ho hoped that I the Mimstor would leave tho matter an open question for tho present. 'He behoved that if the request was not granted, there ■nould bo a degieo of discontent in the Amalgamated , Society that would only lead to demoralisation atnongst the men Hβ would sooner leave tho Minister to negotiate further with the men than havo the matter settled by an adverse ■vote in tho nouse v ' Mr Luic (Wellington Suburbs) thought that if the Government gave way in this instance there would bo demands by other divisions for the formation of separate unions. An Amendment' Moved. Mi. Malcolm (Clutha) moved as an apiond N mont that the report should be referred back to the committee for further consideration, The drivers and firomen showed no hostility to tho Amalgamated Society, and to grant them separate existence would make for harmony, not discord. , Mr'. MTaren (Wellington East) behoved „ that tho policy of disintegration among any ,' labour organisations was a very umvise one, The committee, to his mvnd, had brought forward a niijfl report. Ho had advised the officers ' of tho society to appoint arbitrators to go into the position. Ho urged the Minister to staj , proceedings till tho i railway men could rocon , sidcr tho position Views of Mr. Massoy and Others. Mr. Masscy said' he would support' tho i smpudment. Tho drivers and firomen wero •v. "bettor judges than the Railways Committco oi the Ray in which their interests had been looked after, It was stated that whilo tho average nagee of railway men had gone up 30 per cent, in tho last n"vo years, the average wages of drivers and Bremen had gone up oniv ' five par cent. Tho mon who drove the mail s , trains should bo paid higher wages than any enj.'ine-drivcrs received now. In almost every country in tho world tho dnvors were allowed to form thoir own associations, and. ,he hoped that'the Minister would allow them to do so in this country Mr. Buiok (Palmerston) said <"W agreed very large!j with tho viens expressed by Mr - Taylor Ho hoped that tho chairman of the committee woufdl movo-'to havo tho report i evidence printed" Tho whole matter .ivouitl require to be threshed 'out. 'llio Hon. T/Y. Duncan (Oamarn) thought * that the drivers and cleaners had not shown ', sufficient reason why they should havo an organisation of their own t Air. Poolo (Auckland West) agreed with tho report of the committee. Ho behoved that 'tho men who were in charge of express trains „ ' . enouJd bo m a class by themselves as regards j -WDgCf, ' £ Ir - Bocn <uian "(Wairarapa) did not see Tγ the engine-drivers and firemen should , pot ho given the same liberty as was given to Jaboui outsid? the Government employ bpecial consideration should be givon to tho men who had to run trains through tho sulphurous tunnels of the Wairarapa. It was t / tortunate that theso men had always been of , a. verj high class Mr. Russell (Avon) spoke in favour ot the amendment One and two should be , tho usefulness of the Amalgamated Society ho would not voto for the amendment. Tho pro-Po-ed new society had inserted in its tion a "no strike clause. ' Hon. J. A. Millar in Reply. Tho Hon. J. A. Millar, in replying nn l i h n llad i ende r oarcd tooughout to keep resolutely clear ot one sulo or tho other on ' ' wh^^vf* 0 ?!, , e com ""«ce Simply stated what they thought was in tho best interests of the society as a Vholc. Eve? sin«tl „ Society was formed, it haTbeen of immense benefit to every section of ™W an Arbitration Bill would bo brought loto 'SfißW! mi ecu in Australia, they ° Report Noi to bo Final. £&?&{£s&& Wmsm ment vvonld soon be taken up m Siscussidb thoir rates of pay and hours of work. B ' Grievancos and Anomalies. Mr. Wilford (Hutt) said that all those criov. Jilicos camo from differences of wages, and from tho lon- rates paid m certain classes. 110 °™ cognised that tho necessity foi retrenchment made tho posifaon diffieult'to meet, bit S were grievances and anomalies in the railw-iv ,T3 T^°W ht v b ° Particularly n regaTd to tho Manmwihi cmplovees, who had been taken over When Parliament agree that theso men shou d bo taken ovei on the," previous footing it did not know tnat it nns in tho power oi the llanawatu Cmnpiny to roclassify its men an hour before they wero taken ovor by tho Government «. M i r, m,? oßan ( Wan E a i""), in leplj-mg, said that 722 .signatures wero attached to tho uotitions received Witnessts from both sides had been heard by tho comnntt«o, who had consid- , i cred tho matter very caiefull), lie hoped that tho Government would consider the question of raising tlio rates of pay of certain enginedrivers. ' Tlio motion iras then acrced to.