RAILWAYS COMPLAINT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19405, 13 August 1926, Page 14

RAILWAYS COMPLAINT.

ALLEGATIONS OF THE MEN. WEST COAST CONDITIONS. IMPROVEMENTS IN PROSPECT. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SrF.CI.a REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. The Railway Department's policy respecting locomotives ancl other rolling stock was defended by the Minister of Railways in the House of Representatives to-day. i • ■ ! ■ The member for-Westland, Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, asked if the attention of the Minister had been drawn to statements in the Locomotive Engineer's Journal alleging that railway engines in use on the West Coast were unsafe, and stating that all hands wero seething with discontent and were not going to put up much longer with the conditions under which they were working. The men complained that the coal was of such a nature • that it was almost impossible to use it on the engines, and they said the engines were obsoleto and some rolling stock was unbraked. Further, it was said that a new depot was badly wanted and with the existing depot there was not sufficient shelter to house all the engines. There were serious allegations about the conditions under which the men worked. Theso, thing?, Sir. Seddon contended, should be looked into, because the safety of the travelling public was at stake. Mr. Coates said his attention had been drawn to the article. The department was quite well aware of the conditions on the West Coast, and to say that the department or the Minister were satisfied with them would be wrong, That applied particularly to facilities for housing engines and rolling stock. The matter which had befen published ignored ontiroly the programme of improvement that had been set out in 1924, Authority ha'd been taken to carry out that programme. They intended to build a round engine shed at Groymouth. The work had been under consideration and would be done as it was found possible to undertake it. He could assure all concerned that it <\vas intended materially to improve facilities so that the men could work under much better conditions. It was recognised that the conditions were not satisfactory, and it was the Government's intention to give the Railway Department every chance to carry out its programme, He did not know that they would be able to keep exactly to schedule, but they would keep as near aa they could to it. The man ought to know that this was the position because they had been "taken into the confidence of the department in this, as in other matters. Mr. Seddon: What about the engines that ore often. tinhraked ? Mr. Coates said it was possible they had a number of engines that were not up-to-date, But they had to use what rolling stock they had. "They- could not" dump everything over the end of the wharf at once. The men would have to put up with them and make the beat of things. He was convinced that no more engines from outside New Zealand were required. He thought that when ,the shops were completed the department could build all th« peoegpry rolling stock here with the assistance of one or two shops whieh were not Statg-ownod- In the meantime the men must be asked to do the best they could with what they had, find' the department would take every reasonable opportunity u seeing that the rolling stock was safe for traffic. J*". 1 i. .i-'im ■ iwfi»!> i V "" i i'mam. . . WARDS OF THE STATE. « OHILDREN UNDER CARE. TOTAL OVER FIVE THOUSAND. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAI, REPORTER.] WELLINGTON,. Thursday. The number of children eared for last year by, the child welfare branch of * tho Education Department is shown by tho annual report to be as followsln special schools and receiving homes, 3869; under the supervision of child welfare officers, 323 5 infants supervised in licensed foster homes, 771; afflicted children, deaf llt>, feeble minded 283 j total, 6358. The majority of the children committed to the-care of the State are not detained in institutions, but are boarded out in foster homes situated mainly in suburban areas and in districts in close proximity to the smaller centres of population. At the- end of the ym there were 1819 children boarded out, 1776 from Govern, jnenfc receiving homes apd 43 from private industrial schools., (Roman Catholic). Arranged according to the ages of • the children the numbers at March 31 last are as follow Under five years, 339; from five to ten years, 657; from ten Jo 12 years, 362; from 12 to 13 years, 199; from 13. to .14 years, 187; over 14 years, 95.. At March 31 there were 40 inmates at service receiving assistance (assisted service in most cases rotors to apprenticeship), There were 46 children receiving post primary education, 30 secondary, and 15 technical, „ In addition there were 51 children over the age of 14 years still attending the public schools and being maintained by the department. In the course of the year 1316 children* were dealt with by magistrates at the instance of juvenile probation officers, 423 being committed to State care, the number of feeble-mindod children on the rolls of the two special schools i\t the end of the year was 283 (206 boys and 7? girls). SUBDIVISION DIFFICULTY, THE METHQD OF TAXATION. • VIEW OF THE HON. A. D, McLEOD WELLINGTON. Thursday. [Bi' TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] Speaking on taxation in the House topjsbt, the Minister of Lands,. Hon. A. D. McLeod, said in order to solve the difficulties in the way of subdivision, they would have to go much wider than the mere land tax itself. It was not fair, he said, that the same legislation should apply to the man who farmed his land and had the assistance of his family and the city dweller who remained in town and visited his land once a year. When it came to a question of subdivision »mong the family we encountered and would always be up against tho gift duties which made no distinction. Ihose who had worked the farm up should receive some concession but the system of taxation under the graduated land tax would never allow this, "I believe," he said, "that the progressive tax will bti found the. most satisfactory to bring about subdivision if it is used in a commonsensa way. It must bo not only progressive as to amount but it must be also fair in its application. It would be unfair to exercise compulsory subdivision within the first year hut it would have to be extended over a period of four or five years.