TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 88, 13 March 1934, Page 7

TRAMWAY EMPLOYEES.

DECISION NOT TO BE CHALLENGED. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, March 12. The Christchurch Tramway Board decided to-day not to appeal against the recent decision of the Tramway Appeal Board. The only issue on which an appeal could be made to the Supreme Court was that of the jurisdiction of the Anpeal Board. It was the contention of counsel for the Tramway Board at the hearing of the appeals that the Appeal Board had jurisdiction only when men were disrated as a punishment for misconduct or neglect of duty, whereas these disratings were, it was claimed, made as part of the board’s policy in regrading all men of the staff, taking no account of broken service at the time of the strike in May, 1932. The Appeal Board, of which Mr .Young, S.M., is chairman, did not sustain this contention, and allowed all the appeals of volunteer workers who joined the service at the time of the strike, also non-strikers who have been superseded in grading by strikers. BOARD’S FINANCES.

The Tramway Board to-day decided to appoint two accountants to investigate the finances of the board. It was stated by members that the finances had been left by the previous board at such a low ebb that it would be impossible to carry on without striking a rate. It was suggested that if a rate were levied for two years, the trams might then be able to pay their way. . Mr E. J. Howard, M.P., said the public would never believe the position the finances were in unless a.n outside investigation was made.