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Grey River Argus, 17 December 1943, Page 6

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Mr Semple’s Confidence GRIEVANCES TO BE INVESTIGATED BY TRIBUNAL WELLINGTON, Dec. 16. “I am satisfied that the railwaymen will not spring anything of the kind, particularly at holiday time,” said the Minister of Railways, Hon. R. Semple, when asked if he had any information to support rumours that railwaymen contemplated direct action before Christmas as a means of obtaining higher wages and better conditions of employment. The Minister added that he considered there was nothing whatever in Grievances in conwages were due entirely to circumstances .arising out of the war, but they were now to be investigated by a tribunal in a proper.- constitutional way. The railwaymen, said the Minister, had done a wonderful job of work, .and they had a fine record of service in meeting the requirements of the armed forces. He refused to believe that they would play the part of traitor at holiday time. They would only be punishing the public,’ and he felt that, as good public servants, they would not do .anything of the kind. Asked if he were able to amplify an Auckland report that the Government had agreed to set up a tribunal to investigate wages and conditions in the Government service, Mr Semple said the whole question of (anomalies and apparent anomalies, not in any one particular State Department, but in the whole public service, would be examined early in the New’ Year. It seemed that this was the only rational and 1 reasonable way to deal with the question. The Government did not want anyone to be smarting under injustices, and the only way to deal with the situation was to have a careful investigation by a competent tribunal which understood the technicalities and needs of th/> public service.