RAILWAY HANDS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 12, 15 January 1909, Page 8

RAILWAY HANDS.

IS THERE A REDUCTION 1 A MINISTERIAL EXPLANATION. The Southern papers have lately been concerned as to the. dismissal of hands from railway works. The Christchuren Press of Wednesday contained, for instance, an announcement regarding carpenteis and labourers being dismissed at Timaru. . In the Otogo Daily Times, too, the following paragraph appeared :— "lt is quite apparent that the railway authorities are bent on a scheme of retrenchment in regard to the works and maintenance branches of the service. As previously stated, the staff employed on the Mosgiel duplication works is to be considerably reduced, to the extent, it is believed, of almost 130 hands, while now attention is being turned to the Hillside workshops. Here the services of over 30 men have been dispensed with during the last few months, pnd it is staled that it is highly probable that a further number will* be dismissed very shortly. These are all casual hands, the employment of whom the very busy period experienced in the Hillside workshops a few months back made necessary. This reducing of hands would appear to be general, as shortening of staffs in other localities is also reported." These paragraphs were referred by a Post reporter to the Minister for Railways (Hon. J. A. Millar), who made the following statement: — "Hands have been engaged for the last eighteen months in making the- rolling stock required for the opening of the North Island Main Trunk railway line. A large number of casual hands were taken on for the purpose of enabling the work to be carried out in the time. This work is now nearly completed, and therefore there is no further work for the men who were taken on for that particular purpose. It is not a question of reducing the ordinary staff of the railway service, but applies only to the extra men who were takjjn on to cope with this special extra work. These reductions are being apportioned throughout the different parts of the country where hands have been so engaged, and to irake it as easy as possible we have spread the reductions over a period' of two months, some taking effect in January and some in February.'THE MOSGIEL WORKS. DUNEDIN, This Day. The services of thirty men on the Mosgiel duplication works have been dispensed with. In all some 130 hands will be put off in batches before the end f of the present month.