GOAL FOR RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17230, 5 August 1919, Page 8

GOAL FOR RAILWAYS.

I ... » --■ .--■' ■ '.-' ' }■ HAMILTON - INDIGNANT. A LIVELY MEETING. GOVERNMENT DENOUNCED. CUV. TEE.EGRAJPH.-TOWS COSKiSSrOSnEXT.] HAMSLTGN. Monday. , There were many lively interludes at a meeting held i n the Town Hall to-night, convened by Mr. Iwen Bfe§regoi> to discuss the railway restrictions. Mr. E. H. -Hammond, president- of the Farmers" Union,' occupied the chair, and the hall was crowded. Mr. McGregor asserted that the railways had been using Tauplri coal for years and were still using it, and as far as the Waikato was concerned there 4 was no shortage of coal. He invited a committee to join him in testing the coal now used. Hundreds of tons of coal were being taken to Waihi, arid he submitted theVhad the right to urge that this coal should be used for the carriage of goods. He pointed out that industries were being seriously interfered with, and while it Was a pity to close any one industry, if necessary the least ! essential industry should be stopped. The Minister for Railways had said that the reserve stock at the time of the curtailment was 6000 tons. The Minister for Munitions said it was 9000 tons, and Mr. j McVilly, the general manager, said it was 12,400 tons. Why this difference? It was j the duty of the people to find out who was not stating the facts and deal with him ;as he should be dealt with. (Load applause.} | Continuing, Mr. McGregor asked how it was that the Railway was the only deportment to be restricted The country had the right to ask that the cities, which were still a blaze of light, should be restricted, too. The only construction one i could put on the matter was that the ! Government was trying to hit the country people. The speaker made a sweeping denunciation regarding profiteering. "You have j got to go further than the shortage or coal for the trouble," he said, 'aha when ; you get to the bottom of it I am afraid that few in Parliament will ever see Parliament agaiu." (Cheers, and cries of j "Pat them out.") ! The speaker suggested that to remedy I the trouble the State should open up new mines. Throughout a lengthy speech Mi- McGregor was subject to some interruption. -"*■ ■ At the conclusion of his address one of | •.he interjectors mounted the platform and, after speaking a few words, was promptly | "counted out." I Major White said the only way to over- | come *'combines" was for the workingman ', to co-operate with the farmer and work \ with him with a view to nationalising all industry. (l A member of the audience moved. " That this meeting will not support any candidate at the next) election who is a supporter of the present Government." I This found a seconder. | An amendment was moved, " That this i meeting ask the present Government to resign, ©wing to its mismanagement of the affairs of the country during the past five years, and that while the present I Government is in power the Waikato will , not. send a representative to Parliament.*' | This was declared carried by a large ; majority^ " J A oommittea consisting of (the Mayor, ; Mr. P. H. Watts, and two others, * together with representatives of Labour, was appointed to tost She coal used on the railways, and to take any further action deemed necessary. ME. SEMHiK'S ALLEGATIONS. INQUIRY AGAIN REQUESTED. [BY TJXSGRAI'H.—rSESS ASSOCIATIOK. J „, CHEISTCHUBCH. Monday. In spite of Mr. R. W. McVdly's denial of statements regarding the amount of coal held by the Railway Department, Mr. R Semple, M.P., .still holds to bis figures. He says that his informants were men on the spot, but he will not give their names. "I am still convinced," Mr. Semple said to-day, " that there is no need for the presaat dislocation of the railway service and that there is not the shortage of coal which t Mr. McVilly states there is. My point is that the matter affects the general community, who ought to know the truth in connection with it. The only wav to satisfy me and a large section of the community is to agree to forthwith set up a public inquiry." SUPPORT FROM WEST COAST. [BY TELEGKAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] GREYMOTJTH, Monday. A meeting of the West Coast Labour Representation Committee passed the following resolution : " That we support Mr B -, Senile, M.P., in his demands for a public inquiry as to the coal-situation, as we are of the opinion that the shortage, as alleged by the Government, does not exist We would also point out that on the West Coast the Government have reserve stores in round figures of 3000 tons of coal, without touching their ordinary stocks, which also amount to a very large quantity running well into four figures."