THE RAILWAY WORKSHOPS. TO THE EDITOR.

Evening Star, Issue 11693, 26 September 1902, Page 7

THE RAILWAY WORKSHOPS. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —A few months ago we had a sensational cablegram ’ from London (from the ■“ expert,” I presume); “ Ship 100 tom frozen turkeys, prompt.” I have looked over the exports from the colony and fail to notice that the order has been executed. 1 am now looking anxiously, expecting the Government to have a cable from Pekin from the World’s Commissioner: “Quote, peacocks’ feathers, great demand; bedrock, c.i.f.” Now, in your to-night’s issue wo have the startling announcement from Wellington that the railway workshops throughout the colony are to be kept going twenty-four hours a day. Of ail tho ridiculous proposals, and there are many, made by the Government I should certainly say, like the Americans, it is mighty “ tall talk.” The whole business means to a great extent nothing more nor less than a “ bone" or the “bunch of carrots” thrown out to catch what at one time was known as the vote of the “ free and independent electors,” which now, I think, belongs to the “ memory of the post.” I understand there are, roughly speaking, 400 hands employed at the Hillside Railway Workshops. Are people —I mean intelligent men; women are not so gullible—-to believe that 800 artisans are at the present time out of employment (I am speaking of Otago only}? If so; I was utterly ignorant of the fact. The proposition of the Minister of Railways shows to me that he does not “ grasp ” his position. Why should he all of a sudden find that amount of work, 200 per cent, extra, should now be taken in hand at a time when he is “ fencing ” with the Opposition as to our position in the London money market. Are we now living under a Socialistic, a Torreyalistic, or an Autocratic form of Government? It puzzles me. The three would make a good tiger blend. Some of your readers might say Who is your correspondent that he dare put himself forward and criticise such men as Sir Joseph, who at the present time is doing “the double,” haying taken, outside of his too many portfolios, also that of Great Britain’s Adviser-General (King .Richard), who, it is said, has been feeling the pulse of the London money market? Others, again, are unkind enough to say that our Trade Commissioner (Mr Gow) when passing through New York “felt the pulse’’ of our Wall street cousins. His report (if any) will, of course, be of a “confidential” or, as Sir Joseph stated some time ago, of an “ interesting nature.” Sir Joseph, in reply to Mr James Allen, indignantly said they could get all the money they wanted, and could “ snap their fingers at the London money market.” What “ bunkum ”! And also “ bounce.” I should certainly say : So we can, in the same manner as a great many of the unfortunates who are living in this land “ flowing with milk and honey ” (I think it is a cruel sentence to quote) can go to their “ uncle ” and do the “ threeball trick ” by paying 40 pfci cent. ' 5 I am digressing to a certain extent I may mention at one time, over twenty years ago, I held an important position (average hands 200) in a large manufacturing concern, which, unfortunately, in colonial phraseology, “ went bung.” From my experience, then, that company could never have carried out the working of three “shifts.” It is more than likely that an army of Government “experts,” supporters of course, will be despatched with fullblown credentials and circular notes for the purpose of exploring the different States of the Commonwealth, and so tty ' to get a sufficient number of- bands for the carrying out of the “Ward great railway workshops

boom.“ - They wfll have to be good talkteg m«a, '«etog they will have to explain the. workings of the different unions, alio of 3fe Conciliation Board, and, butt hot not that of the powers l vested In the Arbitration Court.—T am, eta* " : ■ Lxftoo- Law. \ .