War Legislation Bills.

Manawatu Times, Volume XL, Issue 1372904, 26 October 1917, Page 7

War Legislation Bills.

| RAILWAY SERVANTS’ PROTEST. DELETION OF CERTAIN CLAUSES 1 ASKED FOR. A petition asking for the repeal of that portion of the War Regulation Bill affecting civil servants was presented to the Legislative Council by the Hon. .1. T. Paul. The petition was from Messrs R. H. Hampton and M. J. Mack, president and secretary respectively of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. The society has a membership of 8500. The petition states that the War Legislation Bill now before the Council and passed by the House of Representatives seriously affects the position of very many members of the railway service as regards the clause of the'bill dealing with the retirement on transfer of officers employed in the Public Service. Owing to the short space of time occupied in passing the bill, members of the society had no time to place their views before the House, and protested accordingly. The provision referred to in the bill states the position is derogatory from the statutory contract made with members of the "railway service, and seriously affects the rights of members. There were many objections to the bill, which members of the society would like to place before the Council. At the request of Mr Paul, the petition was referred to the Statues Revision Committee, to which was also referred the bill in cpiestion.