Rural Railway Rumpus

NZ Truth, Issue 943, 22 December 1923, Page 3

Rural Railway Rumpus

DO PORTERS PINCH? (From "Truth's" Palmerston N. Rep.) That goods which are transported on the railways of the Dominion do sometimes arrive m the consi-^nee's hands short m quantity and showing obvious signs of being interfered with during the journey is an established fact, as many shopkeepers and others who have occasion to make use of this form of transportation can bitterly testify to. Allegations have been made on different occasions that this pilfering has been and is being done by certain railwaymen whose ideas of meum ar.d teum are very vagrue. Just at present m the hub of the Manawatu the porters at the railway station — and there are enough of them to shift the building and yards to Awapuni — are up m arms against what they consider a gross reflection ON THEIR HONESTY. One fine morning: a few days ngo those railwaymen who perused the columns of the morning paper were astounded, nay, shocked, to read the sentiments allegedly expressed by a speaker at a meeting of the local Wood and Coal Merchants' Association, which takes itself very seriously. This speaker, a Mr. F. F. Fisher, is reported to have asked: "Do you think that railway porters are going to buy wood when they can get it for nothing from the trucks?" The porters bit. and so did their fellow-workers, and it is reported that Bro. Fisher had a busy day answering personal questions. The following morning's paper contained two epistles to the editor. The flrst was from the secretary of the Palmerston North branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants asking that Mr. Fisher either SUBSTANTIATE OR WITHDRAW his remarks. The writer concluded thusly: "This matter, may I add. will be dealt with by the regular monthly meeting of \the Palmerston North branch of the A.S.R.S. on Sunday next at 2 p.m., when, failing any public | reply from Mr. Fisher m the meantime, he will have an opportunity to defend his utterances at that meeting, to which I extend him an invitation to be present." ' The next effusion was from Mr. Fisher, who asserted that HE HAD BEEN MISREPORTED, stating: "What did transpire was this, that m private conversation with another mem,ber who wa.s telling me how the 'Railway Department had thrown off some wood from an overloaded truck at Taihape. I said, 'Well, the railway porters will not have to buy wood when they can get it off the trucks like that for nothing.' " Editor Bob Billens also took up the pen and delivered a short sermon upon what he styled "the very imperfect noises', most men make 'when on their feet at public meetings." taking the charitable view that Mr. Fisher had not meant to say what the reporter had attributed to him. However, 'tis rumored that the railwaymen are of the opinion that Mr. Fisher did say, and really meant to say, the remarks attributed to him. and,* further, that more will be heard of the matter.