NEW SOUTH WALES RAILWAYS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 50, 27 February 1918, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES RAILWAYS.

THE CARD SYSTEM. {PuKsa Association. —Copyright.; ~ SYDNEY, Feb. 26. The Assistant-Treasurer states that the Government hopes to provide £43,000 to pay railwaymen dismissed as a result of the late strike their refunds of superannuation payments. Judge Curlewis opened a Royal Commission to inquire into the card system introduced" by the Railway Commissioners, which was ostensibly the cause of the big strike. The solicitor for the Railway Commissioner gave evidence that though in operation for. only a few months, the system resulted in a large saving in working expenses. He denied any intention that the system should penalise the workmen. 'The Chief Commissioner gave evienced that between 5000 and 6000 railwaymen had gone to the war ,und many had not been replaced, yet the same amount of work was being done by more effective methods... If the men came back they would replace casual labour. Asked "If there had been no war what would have Been done with your surplus labour " witness replied that the non-filling of resignations and dismissals would have given the same result.