MEN WALK OUT

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24542, 26 March 1943, Page 2

MEN WALK OUT

TAXI-DRIVERS MEET 1 LIVELY PROCEEDINGS | OPPOSITION TO CONTROL • The Auckland taxi-driers' resentment at the control of their industry > and the introduction of a roster system 1 was expressed in unmistakable fashion at a meeting in the Lewis Eady Hall last night. There were frequent interruptions and uproar during a speech by the chairman of the Auckland Taxicab Control Committee, Mr. Lisle Alderton, who was finally counted out by the gathering of about 250 men as they uproariously endorsed a vote of no-confidence and walked from the hall. Mr. Alderton said the meeting was arranged to explain the roster system to be introduced on April 3. Ho knew it was not going to be palatable, but he asked for the drivers' co-operation. A number of conferences had been held between the control committee and the Minister of Transport, the Hon. J. O'Brien, who was adamant that no increase in petrol could be made for taxi work. The drivers had to realise that their industry was a protected one and that they enjoyed a monopoly. In return they were asked to givo the public a reasonably good service. The Shift System Referring to former attempts to control the service, Mr. Alderton said that when he first joined the committee he was in the wilderness as ho was outvoted by the two company representatives. Another member, Mr. H. J. Butcher, had been appointed and the chairman now had power in his casting vote. t _ , . This was mot with cries of derision and a remark, "You are using the big stick—a dictator." The chairman was further interrupted by a hubbub of voices and loud cries of derision which subsided when he assured the meeting that ho would allow questions. He said it was proposed to divide the men into <l4 sections each of seven and to work shifts under the roster system. When he announced the hours there was more uproar and derisive laughter. There was another out- I burst when the chairman announced! that the drivers would have to keep : records of runs and produce them to traffic inspectors as required. There were loud shouts of "No!' when he said the industry had recently lost the goodwill of the public. Barrage ol Questions When the chairman called on Mr. Butcher to speak there was prolonged uproar. He said it was part of the roster scheme to have taxis clearly marked so that they could be identified on their shifts. A tumult of voices and uproar followed when Mr. Butcher displayed a poster marked "Taxi" with a number. When he attempted to compare the attitude of the drivers in past years in marking their cabs with the proposed system he was counted out bv the meeting. ' Scores of men rose claiming the chairman's eye when the meeting was opened for questions. Mr. Butcher, replying to a question as to whether he favoured a single-system telephone, said lie had alreadv approached the Post and Telegraph' Department. To another questioner. the chairman denied that the Commissioner of Transport had agreed that the drivers should be given an opportunity to manage their own business. The Telephone System After a lively interlude the chairman said he was not prepared to accept and stand by any decision of the men on the control of the industry. A driver said there was no business to-dav operating as it did before the war. He alleged that the chairman was trying to break up the industry without consulting the owners and drivers. "I for one am not going to abide by your decisions," he added, amid applause. Another driver said the telephone hire svstem had proved a failure. No office 'operator could distinguish between essential calls and others. This driver and other speakers alleged that tliev had been sent to telephone jobs which had transpired to be visits to "undesirable haunts." One driver said that he had done three five-hour shifts on the rank system introduced by the committee and his highest takings in one shift were 14s. 'lf vou are going to pin me down by regulations to this sort of thing I want vou to tell me how I am going to get 'the money to pay my way. ' he stated amid applause. Several drivers attempted to make speeches, but the chairman ruled them out of order and threatened to close the meeting. There were several further outbursts of indignation from the nail and they culminated in a motion of noconfidence. DAYLIGHT SAVING EXTENSION FOR WINTER (P A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday The half-hour daylight saving will be extended throughout the coming winter, according to the daylight saving emergency regulations gazetted tonight. Summertime would normally have ended on April 20, and recommenced on the last Sunday in September, but. during the war period an extension of summertime throughout the winter has been made each year. MAIN CROP ONIONS MAXIMUM PRICES FIXED (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Thursday A price order issued to-night covers main crop onions and fixes the maximum prices chargeable by growers and the margins" of profit allowable for distributors, wholesalers and retailers. The maximum prices chargeable by growers range from £l2 10s a ton in March and April to £'lo in November. Retail prices range from 2Jd per lb. in March and April to ssd in November. These are qualified by quantity concessions for purchases of 51b. weight and over. LAND FOR EX-SOLDIERS INITIAL LOSS POSSIBLE (S.R.J ROTORUA, Thursday In his speech at Ohinemutu to-day, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Frasor. said it. was possible, that the Government would have to lace up now, in the matter of the settlement of soldiers on the land, to an initial monetary loss. If the future productive value of land was lower than its present market price it would not, he advisable to lend the price to the soldiers, making a burden that would subsequently have to be removed. DEATH FROM INJURIES (0.C.) i THAMES. Thursday As the result of an accident on January 1.3 at Apata, near Waihi, Pauline Mavis Bryan, aged two, has died at the Thames Hospital She was struck by the Taneatua express and suffered head injuries. SOLDIER COMPOSES SONG (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service) JERUSALEM, March 23 lhiweisak liidge, at the time preceding the El Alamein action, could hardly ho described as an ideal place for song- , writing, but a cablegram from the 8.8.C. advised Sergeant A. C. Dawson of the success of a song composed in a slit trench. Writing it on the blank side of a discarded Italian routine orders sheet, he entitled rt, "Fighting for our Homeland." He forwarded it to the 8.8.C., which has now cabled for the broadcasting rights.