POWER OF VETO.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 10 June 1912, Page 8

POWER OF VETO.

EXERCISED BY MINISTER. OF RAILWAYS.

RAILWAY MEN INDIGNANT.

BF TBLi:aB.A.PH—PB.EBB ASSOfiIAITOB

CTiRISTCHTJRCH, June 8. The Minister of Railways has exercised his Dower of veto in the case of William James Cadman, who, at the last sitting of the Railway Appeal Board in Christenurch, appealed against his reduction in rank from guard to porter. The chairman of the board (Mr Haselden, S.M.), favored the dismissal ot the appeal, but it was sustained by the two other members of the board— the representatives of the first and second divisions. The decision of the Court was forwarded to the Minister, who has now informed Cadman that he is not to be reinstated in his old rank. There is a good deal of indignation felt among local railwaymen at the turn events have taken. The Ministerial right of veto has been the subject of much adverse comment on previous occasions and efforts have been made to secure its abolition. The men candidly express the opinion that in this case the Minister has been iruided entirely by the departmental officer, whose decision the Appeal Board reviewed. The whole quesaS n« Prol)ab)y *>fi discussed by the A.S.H.vS. at an early date. Sneaking to a Press reporter this evening a railway officer said that there was a feeling of intense irritation at the exercise of the right of veto, esneeiflllv by a new Minister, who could hardly have mastered the details of the Arork of his deoartment. The nosition seemed to make it Hear to the men that it was no use going to the Apneal Board at all. The men only won about one case in six, and when the veto raire into operation after a favorable decision, the ovospect was disheartening in the extreme. Th* men wanted the ri^ht ot veto abolished, and contender! that the decisions of the board should be given effect to. That course was followed in Victoria and N*w South Hates. a"d its adoption in Now Zealand would give some satisfaction. Tfc was perfectly useless for the dailway divisions to elect their best men to tbe honrd if tfc pi ■■ decisions were to be subject to a Ministerial veto.