AUCKLAND RAILWAYS.

NZ Truth, Issue 91, 16 March 1907, Page 4

AUCKLAND RAILWAYS.

SERIOUS TROUBLE BREWING.

It might astonish the people of Auckland, but scarcely more than surprise the Government, if one o£ these days the whole of the railway traffic m that province was suspended. Only within the last three weeks, a suggestion m the way of a feeler was thrown out to get a round robin and complain to the head of ,the department, against the blustering bullying of the running shed foreman. Only the loyalty of some old hands prevented what might have proved a serious affair.

Why we say it would scarcely more than sxirprise the Government is this. The Department is cognisant that more complaints are sent from Auckland -than any other two sections m New Zealand. They are also aware that under the regime of Mr Owen, the section was run more comfortably for the Department and the men; and during the time the present foreman was on his holidays, everything went smoothly ; notwithstanding it was the busiest time of the year, Christmas and New Year holidays, and the relieving foreman did not adopt the tactics the man relieved suggested, 1.c., to "give them hell if they make any fuss" ; there was no necessity. The men, who can be

favorably compared with those of any other section, recognised a gentleman m the relieving foreman and treated him accordingly.

Again the attention of the Department is directed to the wasite of public money by the peculiarities of this foreman. He removed, at the public cost, a driver from Henderson to Onehunga, only to find that he could not give him . the run between the latter place and Auckland, so the driver is now compelled to live m Auckland, while his wife is living at Onehunga, having leased a house there. A further injustice was to 'stop this driver from getting a privilege ticket. It is a common expression that '"Russia is out-Russia-ed" ill the Auckland running shed ; and unless a man becomes a pimp, spy, or pander, he has a very unhappy time up m the "Corinth of the South." ■