TRAMWAYMEN AND COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1236, 19 September 1911, Page 6

TRAMWAYMEN AND COUNCIL.

THE MAYOR REPLIES TO - CRITICISM.- '

CAUSES OF.DELAY.

REPORT BY THE ENGINEER,

Interviewed by a representative of The Dominion yesterday, the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.l\) replied to tho criticism . which, had been levelled at. tho. City Council by Mr. A. Sutherland (secretary of tho Tramwaymen's "Union) in' the columns of Tiik Dominion yesterday morning on the subject of the disputo betnweon the council and tho union. Shortly stated, tho union complained that the council had unduly delayed the settlethe negotiations which have been proceeding between the parlies to tho dispute ever since Octobr last. THE MAYOR'S STATEMENT. "Mr..Sutherland is a queer man—in fact, somewhat difficult," commented the Mayor. "He is hard to deal with in comparison with t.he former secretary (Mr. Jones), and though my committee has had no trouble with his executive, ho himself is very difficult. I have read his interview. It is extravagant. Let mo deal' with some of the assertions. Mr. Richardson and Mr. Morton will deal with others. Mr. Sutherland forgets to tell the public that the union has completely changed front since first initiating proposals. - It asked in the first place for a Dominion Award, and the schedule presented to the council bears the heading, 'Federated Tramways Association of N.Z.: Proposed Dominion Tramways Award/ On receipt of that document, we called representatives from tho centres of tho Dominion to discuss tho same from a Dominion point of view, and, after having doire so, met'tho men, aud found to our surprise that ,the schedule was their form of application for a.lccal and not a Dominion Award at all. "This mistake of the union caused May, because the delegates had to be. brought together to ' deliberate.- Then,; •when wo met the union, Mr.- Sutherland spent a great part, of the time indicting, the management and-insisting that he lad a roster which would easily replace that of the council, anil; save the city many thousands per annum. -Ho-held his roster, and refused . the . key for a long time, and to tho present day has never shown that key to the officers of the city. Ho showed it to tlie'siib-cominittce only. Ho fought us for a very-long while on the roster question, in order, I now think, to combat Mr. Richardson's spare list idea, but he kept the key of his roster from the officials. Some time ago the Tramways Committee, reported the negotiations re the roster to. tho council, and I suggested an' outside- expert to judge between the two. The council decided instead to call for . a report from Mr. Richardson on'the whole undertak-'. ing. This took time, and when Mr. Richardson furnished his leport the committee dealt with part of it. reported that part to tho council, and asked Mr. Richardson to prepare a new roster. At the same time I stated that , I thought tho union executive should havo a chance to consider this roster' before it was adopted. For Wo months I was away ill, and again for a fortnight I had to leavo town. On my return I immediately arranged a conference "between the officers of the Department and tho executive of the union. Mr. Richardson at that conference found for the first time that the executive of the union intended to drop the roster question ' altogether, thOngta months and moiiths had been .taken up in trying that very problem, raised, as the 'citizens'well know, by Sir. Sutherland. ' , ' '' : <;•' "Th& conferonMST-threein . all—have been abortive, aiid tlie" statement by Air. Sutherland that we. did not wish to arrange matters by agreement is typical. I really think ' that had tho council's officers been . left with the union executive, a settlement would long ago_ havo been arrived'at. Mr. Richardson, in his report to me to-day, deals with Mr. Sutherland's statements that tho men have had no increasos for 7A years. Mr. Sutherland says he was one of three members who drew up tho present award in four hours. To draw an award should not take four hours; to arrange the terms of an award is another thing. Mr. Sutherland says the council is indifferent a3 to whether the mon are satisfied or dissatisfied. ..This is also a typical statement. The council lias givon a great deal of time to tho matter, and has. done its best to bring about a solution. I ask: Can Mr. Sutherland say as much?". MR. RICHARDSON'S REPORT. The report of 'Mr. Stuart Richardson (Tramway Engineer) to tho Mayor on the subject of Mr. Sutherland's criticisms reads as follows?— "Sir,— Referring to the statements marked iit the attached cutting, I beg to state as under:— "(a) Mr. Sutherland was distinctly told by mc that the-proposals submitted w'ere not framed on any decisions arrived at by tho ropra'ontafives of the Tramway Conference held early this year! "(b) As a matter of fact, the proposals submitted were based on the draft of a proposed agreement which I submitted with my report to tho Muncil of May 26 last, .with certain modifications showing a substantial increase in order to as far as practicable meet the views of the executive as expressed at the meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. Their modified proposals wero drawn on Thursday and Friday last. "(c) Mr. Sutherland's statement that no increasos to the men have been granted for years is absolutely inoorrect, and under the October, 1905, agreement,. increases wero granted to motormon and conductors, and under tho October, IDOtf, agreement increases amounting to about .£I3OO, based on the strength. of the, staff at the time'of the" agreement, were granted by the council.

"Begirding the statement that the council lately passed increases to about 1)0 members of the staff, totalling £1300, this is incorrect. Tho sum mentioned was divided anion? 1)3 members of tho staffs of the several departments of the corporation; tho amount allotted to tho Tramway Department being 329. to 23 members of the staff.

"Tho statement that married men with families employed as labourers are getting less than Is. per hour is incorrect, permanent track cleaners receiving Is.' Old. per hour, and casual track cloaners is. 2\<i. per houV. Permanent-way men regularly employed get Is. IA<I., ami these casually employed, Is. 2J<l. per hour. Car cleanors got Is. per hour, and thotr average earnings are .£3 per week. "In conclusion, I have to say that Mr. Sutherland's statement that ■ tho timetable is only maintained by the goodwill of tho men; and that the regulations, i£ ( carried out, would produce a hopeless tangle, is quite ridiculous." TRACKMEN'S PAY. On the subject .of trackmen's pay, raised by Mr. Sutherland, tho City Engineer (Mr. "VV. H. Morton) reported to tho Mayor as follows:— "The statement in Tire Dominion newspaper that an offer had been made to increaso the pay of the men in tho Permanent "Way Department by }d. per hour is substantially coircct. Trackmen woro intended to bo brought into line with general labourers in the other departments of the corporation servicc, and tbeir pay to be increased from Is Old. to Is. Old. per hour, the men in addition to bo provided with oilskins, sou'-westers, nd leggings. Permanent-way repairers ero to receive increased pay, so that 'i sumo difference would exist in the fs of pay between these man and trackj. as at present. It js essential that c jflass of labour shall be paid at rates o (jy corresponding to those paid in yj ct departments of the corporation eor-

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