" COBWEB " CRITICISM.
THE HON. R. M'KENZIE AND WELLINGTON TRAMS. A characteristic. utterance fell from the. Hon. R. M'Konzie (Minister for Public Works) when a' deputation of Tramway Conference delegates waited upon him yesterday. "As far as Wellington is concerned, the Minister said, "I think if they brushed the cobwebs off the management, and, treated their men a bit better than they aro doing, they could even afford to reduce their faros by 25 per cent." This statement was submitted to Mr. Stuart Richardson, engineer and manager of the Wellington tramways. Mr. Richardson followed the course usually adopted by officials in similar circumstances, a'nd declined to say anything about the matter at all. The city tram-
way officials arc always ready to make a courteous reply to any allegation as to a particular defect in the service, but they are incapacitated, by their official position, , from replying to such utterances as that maclo by the Minister yesterday. Those who arc curious as to the source whenco the Minister drew his "criticism" need only remember that a few months ago, when the local tramwaymen were applying for a new agreement, it was freely stated on their behalf that if the men were permitted to run and control the .Wellington tramway*; -a- very 'important 'economy would bo effected.' : No' material , demonstration has yet followed upon this general statement, but it is well-known that officials of the- Tramway Union and discontented employees in the service arc in constant communication with the Minister for Public Works. No doubt they supplied the inspiration of his remark of yesterday , . Asked last evening what ho thought of the Minister's statement, the Acting-Mayor (Mr. J. Smith)' replied that it was only on a par with other statements made by the Minister about the Wellington tramways. These statements were simply loose assertions, unsupported by a gTain of solid testimony, and the only way ti deal with them was to treat them with the contempt they deserved.
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1189, 26 July 1911, Page 7
Word Count
326" COBWEB " CRITICISM. Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1189, 26 July 1911, Page 7
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