RUNNING SHOES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22481, 27 July 1936, Page 12

RUNNING SHOES

Sir, —I recently exposed the tactin of the Government in coolly appropriating for its own advantage all the credit attaching to- the introduction 'of railcsirs to New Zealand, whereas they should in justice have given all the credit to tlieir predecessors and particularly to the Kail* ways Board. There are other facts regarding the Government's idea of justice toward men who have given many years of faithful public service which I think should be known. Against the men comprising the Railways Board no charge has been laid; unless it be that they were too careful of national expenditure, and national economy appears to be an Unforgivable sin in the eves of the Labour Government. Apparently for this sin the members of the Railways Board were given running shoe*. Now, if I employed a man for a term of years, at an annual salary, and discharged him before the expiration of the term for which he had been engaged, I would be liable for damage for wrongful dismissal, unless lie was guilty of actual wrongdoing or serious neglect of duty. No such charge has brought against the Railways Board, and yet its members are not only denied credit for their work, as instanced by the railcars, but they were dismissed long before their contract term had ex* pired, without compensation, regardless of the fact that, relying on a Government appointment, they must have made business arrangements to enable them to discharge their duties, and the unwarranted termination of the ap* pointments must have entailed serious personal loss. This was done bv. a Gov* eminent, which frequently poses jV s * ? immaculate dispenser of justice. Than* goodness the Government now claim' to be big enough to admit mistaseSt and if it is amending such it may W* elude the above among the amen • ments. Ckcil H. Olinkabd.