AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS DISPUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12555, 22 April 1904, Page 3

AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS DISPUTE.

THE CASE FOR THE MEN.

HIGH COST OF LIVING.

A CONTRAST WITH AMERICA.

The dispute between the Auckland Electric Tramways Company and their employees in respect to the rate of wages and conditions of labour again occupied the attention of the Arbitration Court—His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman and Messrs. Brown and Slater —sitting at the Supreme Court Buildings yesterday. Mr. W. Scott, secretary of the Otago Employers' Association, conducted the case on behalf of the employers. Associated with him were Mr. Paul M. Hanson, managing director, and Mi. F. M. Carey, electrical engineer to the company. The case for the Tramway Employees' Union was conducted by Messrs. it. F. Way, I'. Richardson and E. Thackeray.

employees' EVIDENCE RESUMED. The evidence of the men was continued, the first witness called by Mr. Way being A. W. Comer, a motorman, who stated that he had been in the employ of tho Auckland Tramways Company since tho inauguration of the service. He said he was engaged to come to New Zealand from Sydney, the rate of pay being Bs, with a promise of an additional 6d at the end of three months. The increase never took effect. Witness bore out the statements of other employees in respect to the high cost of living in Auck- ' land as compared with Sydney. He considered Sydney men were very much better off. Since his arrival in Auckland he had been presented by passengers with a gold medal for his prompt action in applying the emergency brake when the life of a little girl was in jeopardy, thus preventing a fatality. It was the custom in Sydney to pay the motormen for all hours that they were on duty, but in Auckland the men were signed off when waiting during the progress 'of sports or entertainments (othei that at the theatres, where the stay was only brief), and received no pay for such time. In his opinion overtime should be blocked as much as possible, and the demand for double pay afte. nine hours was therefore a reasonable one. The company's regulations provided foi 25 demerit marks being inflicted for incompetency, but he considered that incompetent men should be discharged. HOLIDAYS AND MEAL HOURS. The men received no holidays, and it was a fair and just demand that a week's vacation should be given on full pay once a year. On general holidays the men had to work very hard to cope with tho increased traffic. The men had to get their meals in the best way they could. In Sydney this kind of thing was managed better, spare hands taking the place of motormen and conductors during mealtime. The time devoted to meals was not deducted from the -hour shift in Sydney. Switchmen held a most responsible position, and only competent men should be so employed. To Mr. Scott: He was better off in Sydney as regarded employment, but his health gave way. The New Zealand climate suited him very well. Ho did not know any case where an employee had been fined when acting under instructions of a superior officer. To Mr. Way: Under the regulations a man might receive 100 demerit marks before incurring dismissal. He had on one occasion worked 17 hours at a stretch without receiving any additional pay pei hour for the overtime. AN AMERICAN'S EXPERIENCE. Edwin Thackeray, a spare motorman, said he had been employed by the company in his present capacity for six months, his earnings ranging from 15s to £1 per week. He was a married man with one* child. Sunday was his best day. He had to attend at the barn at a quarter-past six a.m., half-past eleven a.m., and a quarter-past two p.m. On each occasion when the last car had gone out if he were not wanted he could go. His Honor: I suppose the regulation is not strictly adhered to. Witness: Yes, it is. It a man does not turn tip lie is liable to demerit marks. I received 1C for failing to turn up one morning. Continuing, witness said he had to remain at the barn for about four hours per day. He did not consider it right that a man should have to hang about so much without payment. To His Honor: He learned bis profession as motorman at Portland, Oregon, and had since driven cars in San Francisco and Oakland, California, during a period extending over several years. Moreover, he had acted as instructor to motormen, and had had experience in Coventry, England. In Oregon his wages equalled 10s 5d per day, and living was far cheaper. Indeed in no part of the world had he found living to be so expensive as in Auckland. The work in America was considerably lighter, and the men had intervals of rest at tho end of each trip. The work was also carried out under more comfortable conditions. There was not the petty officialism so rampant in Auckland. A motorman in America had confidence in himself and worked so as to give satisfaction both to himself and to his employers. Here ho was subjected to continual annoyances on the part of petty officials, who did not thoroughly understand the business. Mr. Way: You are referring to the inspectors?— Yes.

Witness expressed the opinion that 10s 6d a day was only a fail wage for a competent motorman.

To His Honor: In America spare men were on the same footing as here, a man being paid only for the hours during which he was employed. To Mr. Way: American motormen were relieved for meal hours, and were not signed off. The general conditions here were about the worst lie had ever hit.

To Mr. Scott: He could not say what dividend was paid by the American companies who paid their motormen 10s 5d per day, but he knew the companies were not financially embarrassed. In Coventry. England, tramdrivers received 30s for a 52 hours week. To Mr. Way: Electric traction was always a profitable investment, both to the promoters and shareholders. There was absolulelv no comparison in regard to the cost of livincr in England and in New Zealand, the former being so vastly below the latter.

AN ECHO OF THE OLD HORSE CARS. , Patrick Macmanemin, inotorman, stated that formerly he was employed as a horsecar driver on the Newmarket line, 1 making eight trips per day, as against thirteen- at present, and enjoying fifteen minutes' rest after each round "trip, whereas at present here were practically no stops at all. Under the old system there was considerably less anxiety, and the cars were much more easily handled. Accidents wore very rare with the horse cars. The conditions of labour, both for driver and conductor, were better under the old system. At present he and his mate relieved one another at meal hours, which meant, that he was tied to the service for the whole day. He worked ten hours per day on the horse cars, and received £2 2s per week. To Mr. Scott: The increased pay he now obtained did not counterbalance the advantages of the old car service, as the mental Strain was now greater. There was more anxiety, and the work in the winter-time was colder, owing to the increased speed. He had decreased in weight a stone. Mr. Scott: You are not looking too bad now? , . '. Witness: When I entered into my present employment I weighed 13st 71b, now 1 am only 12st 71b. . . To Mr. Way: Owing to receiving als miminutes' spell after each round trip in the old days, the actual working time came to within 15 minutes of the present hours per week George Righton, motorman, who was formerly a horse-car driver, stated that he was no better off undo.- the present system than under the old. A YEAR IN THE SERVICE. William Partridge, mctorman, said he learned to drive electric cars since entering the service of the Auckland Company a year ago. He had been employed in laying the permanent way at 8s a day, and considered that if a labourer were worth 8s a motorman ought to receive 10s 6d. It was hardly fair that time should bo written off a motormans' way bills during church time. He did not consider the duties of a switchman as important as those of a motorman. . Mi Scott put in a petition, received by the company in NoTember last signed by 90 men who requested they should be let oft the regulation obliging them to relieve each other at meals, as this meant breaking the shift, and tying the men to the service through long hours.

UNION PBESIDKNT IN THE BOS. Paul Richardson, motorman, president of the industrial union, gave evidence in respect to the cost of living, stating that money went nearly twice as far in Sydney, a city with which he was very well acquainted. Comfortable board and residence in Sydney ranged from 12s to 14s, washing being Is or Is fad extra. Similar board and residence in Auckland involved an outlay of 18s to £1 a week. His Honor: Then the charges must be much higher here than in other parts of the colony. Wellington is considered an expensive town, but board and residence does not cost tha* much, there, and iu Dunedin the cosi- is 155.. , . '~.

"Witness, continuing, said an equivalent to the shilling dinner here cost only -sixpence in Sydney;; the Auckland cightpenny meal was not better than- the Sydney fourpenny meal. ■■> *y ■■ --if..., : -~ 7-; His Honor: I should be inclined to doubt that. Ido not think any New Zealander would much care about tackling a Sydney fourpenny dinner. ;. Witness: Any more than one cares for an eightpenny dinner in, Auckland. : Mr. Brown said his experience when in, .Sydney by no means bore out witness' statement. Indeed, having heard so much about the cheapness of things in. Sydney, he was very much surprised at what he found. Mr. Way: I assure you that I was myself able to keep a house going for 30s a week on the other side, and though lam very plainliving man I could not possibly do it here. Mr. Brown: How long is it since you were in .Sydney? Mr. Way : Three or four years. Mr. Brown: Things have very much altered since then.

His Honor: Wo all know that there have been complaints about a general rise in the cost of living in Sydney since the tariff. Things are rather cheaper now in Melbourne than in Sydney. Mr. Way: In Auckland during the last three years prices have gone up fully 30 per cent. A few years ago a man could live fairly well on £2 2s a week, but he cannot exist on it now.

_ Mi. Scott: The Now Zealand shilling meal is still considered the best in the world. Mr. Way: Maybe; but it is nothing of the kind. here is also an idea abroad that wages are. higher in New Zealand than in any other part of the world, but that also is a fiction.

Witness, continuing, said the Tramways union was almost unanimous in desiring a case to be submtited to the Arbitration Court

. ANOTHER AMERICAN VIEW. Amos Ilollbigsworth, motorman, stated that he had had five years' experience in Boston, U.S.A., in driving electric cars. The Auckland service was a very hard one. Never had he worked such long stretches. Taking this into account, and also tho exorbitant cost of living in Auckland, ho considered he was decidedly better off when in America Living expenses were, in fact, out of all proportion to the wages earned, and he had to draw upon his private resources. In Boston motormen and conductors shared tho responsibility and received equal wages Since his appointment in Auckland he had acted as motor inspector during the occasional incapacity of the regular men. .The ears often travelled at 20 miles an hour down Coffey's Hill, Epsom. So far as his experience in America went, he had never known such a custom to obtain as signing men off when waiting for sports or entertainments to conclude. Eight hours' work on the Auckland cars was equal 10 a 10 hour-' shift under the American system, because in the States the men bad a break for meals J here would bo some difficulty.in the way of relieving the regular men by spare hands for meals, because, as the cars only ran 17 hours per day, if. would be impossible for the men m ge ' t ,, their full eight hours tier clay. To Mr Scott: For a 10 hours' day in. America he received 2i dollars—that was to say, as bd. ■ He would prefer having an hour oft during his shift for a dinner and a smoke rather than work for eight hours without a break. Ihe strain on a maD driving for eight hours without a rest was very great

EVIDENCE OF CONDUCTORS. Hr. Goi-don, ex-eonductor, said be was ia Hie service of the Tramways Company for nearly three months. He was on the spar* list, and earned from £1 to £1 5s per week. A wage of 9s a day was none too much. The conductor oil the top of a double-decker had to watch the trolley-pole and collect fares at the same time. If the trolley-pole slipped he was liable to demerit marks. He left the company's service because there was =o much petty officialism and too ready an ear was given to complaints from the public. He had been asked to apologise to a Chinaman, who had reported witness for carrying him past a stopping-place. Not being in the wrong he did not apologise. Moreover, he had already given in his resignation. George Curson, conductor, stated that he joined the service in December, 1902, having previously been a conductor on the old horse cars at a weekly salary of 30s. His present salary was 38s, but the work was much harde;. lie considered he was now in a worse financial position. Rents had zone up, and whereas he formerly paid 7s a week rent he now paid 12s. In manv other respects also. ho found it more costly to live He had been signed, off at Alexandra Park whilst detained during a sports meeting fo two hours and a-half. The men received nothing for the time- occupied each evening in cashing up. fa William Williams, conductor, said ho was formerly a conductor on the steam tram service m Newcastle, New South Wales The men -there , worked eight hours a day and received a daily wage of 6s for the first veat with a rise of 6d at the end of each 12 months.

The Court then adjourned until half-past tea to-day. *