Wellington Railway Serrants.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 31 July 1893, Page 2

Well in gton Railway Serrants.

ADDEESS BY PRESIDENT HOBAX The annual social gathering of the Wellington blanch of the Amalgamated Society of Kailway Servants was held in tho Foresters' Hall, Lamb ton - quay, on Saturday night. Mr. W. Hoban, of Chrisrchurch, was in the chair, and araon;:s-t the guests were Messrs. Earnahaw, Tanner, Joyce, AlcLrnn, Sundford, Kelly, and W. Hutchison, M.H.R.'s. Tho Premier had iltended to be present, but was unable, owingto another engagement, to attend. A capital ppread was terved by Air. It. Leadbetter, Tinakori-road. After a few remarks by the President, the toast of " The Queen and the Royal Family " was duly honoured. Mr. James Robertson proposed " The House of Representatives," and Messrs. Hutchison and Tanner replied. The toabt of '"Our Kmployerß" waa responded to by Messrs. J. Kelly aud Sandford, M.H.B 's, who expressed themselvoa in favour of a change in the present system of managing tho railways. Mr. D. Skinner proposed "The Executive. ' and complimented the head officials on tlie manner in which they had discharged their duties in the past. The President, in reply, said that tho aim aud object of the Executive was to furlhtr the_ passing of the Conciliation Bill. He believed a great deal of the coals heaped on the heads of the Commissioners were owing to the zeal of the officials. One of his objects in coming to Wellington on tl.o present occasion was in connection with tbo recent Railway Conference. Many of the statements made were erroneons and misleading. The Executive asked that tlio Conference should be postponed, and a reply was received in Christchurch that it would be postponed, but as a matter of fact it was not put off. A request was then made that Bix wages men should be sent as delegate", but a reply was sent practically denying the Society the right of havint* tbese men at the Conference. At the Conference there were four wages men — a carpenter, a signal man, a fitter, and a guard— and against those weie five railway station masters, two foremen, a traffic inspector, and three clerks. One of the stationmastors received two extra a otes, and an extra vote was also given to the inspector, but no extra vote 3 wore given to the wages man. A great deal had been said about the largo and representative meeting at which tho insurance scheme had been discussed. At the Canterbury meeting the statiomaster was in the chair. On looking round tho room it was found that tho motion in favour of tho scheme — tho Commissioners' scheme - would be lost if all remained in tho room, and a request was made that those opposed should leave. They did so, and the motion was of course carriod unanimously. Although tho number of railway servants in Canterbury was about 500, tho helection cf delegates was mode by a committee of nine, and yet tho public were assured that everything had been douo at representative gatherings. Mr. Hoban alluded to the meetings held in the other centres, aud denied that they were in any way representative, and he went on to say bo would now tell the meeting how tho petitions in favour of the scheme were got up. The petitions were taken round amongst the servants ; tho men w ere not given the privilege of voting by ballot, and to refuse to si°n meant, perhaps, that a man would receive his death warrant in the shape of a discharge. In one of the workshops in Cbristchuroh a petition was left on the desk for threo or four days, but it was not signed until one of tho bosses went round and asked the men to sign. Yet tbo public were t .Id that coercion was not used to obtain signatures. Mr. Hoban deniod that the railways weie being popularised under the pre-ent m inagenicnt, and asserted that 4'j'j men ha.il been discharged laht year by tho Commissioners in order to show a large surplus ; maintained that Bevoral young men well connected had been promoted orer the heads of older and more experienced men ; quoted figures tp show that the Society was in a sound condition, and was' increasing in its membership and fnnds; and concluded by exhorting tin mcii in tho Government service to treat tho Commissioners with respect. Mr. D. Skinner replied to tne toast of " The Wellington Brauph." Mr. George London gave the toast of '• Absent Ones," and it was drunk in silenco. Mr. Earnshaw, M H.lt , replying to the toast, paid a graceful compliment to the memory of tho late Mr. Brine, of tho Manawatn Company, whose funeral took placo yesterday, approved of the death -benefit sohemo, expressed Lis pleasure at finding that the Society was in a llourishine state, and said he was certain that before long a change would take place in regard to the relations between the railway servants and thoir immediate employers. The last tqa9t was " The Ladies," whioh was proposed by the Seoretary (ilr. Charles Fraser). Dnring the evening several songs were given, Mr. Norberg being at tho piano. '