ADDINGTON WORKSHOP METHODS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8780, 22 January 1909, Page 6

ADDINGTON WORKSHOP METHODS.

MEETING OF THE MEN. SURPRISE AND INDIGNATION. (Pee Pbess Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 20. During their half-hour's luncheon, adjournment to-day over 300 of the men employed at Addington railway workshops held a meeting to discuss the general manager's letter to the chief mechanical engineer at Wellington, forwarded to the workshops manager, and which passed severe strictures upon the methods under which the, work at the Addington shops was carried out. The chairman of the meeting said it was by no means with feeling of pleasure that he had consented to preside and to address the men. They were gathered to consider the general manager's letter, and he thought if they allowed it to go forth uncontradicted they would be considered throughout the Dominion, aye, and throughout the world, as anything but men. (Applause.) They had seen the letter in the newspapers for the first time. (A Voice: "It's a lot of rot.") For the benefit of those who had not eeen it, he would read what the manager thought of them. Having read the letter, the speaker said they were not present to go into the question, of whether the charges were true or not. They were there to say whether they weodd remain under the stigma or prove-.'themselves men and demand an inquiry. It was no use getting excited. The question was whether they would lie down to it or stand up for'their rights. The eimplest method would be to demand an inquiry into the charges made by Mr Ronayne. The matter was not so much one of the opinion of a, consulting engineer or the greatest engineer the railways had got. The point was that their good name' was being stolen. There was no need for a drastic resolution, but merely for one demanding an immediate inquiry. One of the men moved: — "That this meeting of railway employees at Addington Workshops demands that the fullest inquiry be made into the charges made by a so-called expert engineer as mentioned in the general manager's letter, and that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to the Minister for Railways." The motion was seconded. In the course of the subsequent discussion one of the speakers said they wanted a public inquiry before a magistrate — not before Departmental officers or anyone else —and that Mr Ronayne ,should bring his informant face to face with {he men. The motion was carried unanimously, and the meeting dispersed, with cheers for the chairman. The men in all departments at Addington are surprised and indignant' at the charges made against several divisions. Mr- Ronayne's letter came as a perfect bombshell among them, there being not the slightest indication given previously that such serious dissatisfaction was eatertained at headquarters. &ome of the more impetuous of the hands, among whom a reporter moved during lunch time, were bubbling over with -explanations and assertions, indicating the baselessness of the charges, but the older hands displayed more discretion, and preferred (in ■ view of an inquiry probably being held) to emulate the example of "Brer Rabbit." and keep their information for a properly-consti-tuted tribunal. However, it is caey to glean that something is behind the present trouble, and the general impression is that a more or less serious breach between the administrative and executive heads had occurred, and that search is being made for a scapegoatt.

General sympathy is expressed towards Mr Henderson, foreman of the boilershop, who was specially, mentioned in .the manager's letter. It was agreed that ho was a firm disciplinarian, and that his department was specially noted for the observance of the rules.

"I wouldn't like hjm to catch me loafing," one youth remarked. "I'd eoon hear about it, I my word." It is generally considered that it was unfair that the testimony ©f some unnamed outsider should have been accepted unreservedly by the authorities, with\ out apparently attempting to verify the statements by a series of inspections, or by a semi-official inquiry. It was pointed out in regard to the cost of engines constructed by the Messrs Price being much lower than the cost of engines turned out at Addington, that Addington Workshops had to manufacture a great d/al of the heavy work for Price's. .

Among the trade.in town, on the other hand, there is a general feeling that there is a good deal of truth in what has been said regarding thp "Government stroke," not only at Addington, but all other Government workshops. Political, influence is claimed to be atftho bottom of the whole problem.