THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1907. THE AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS AWARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13926, 11 June 1907, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 1907. THE AUCKLAND TRAMWAYS AWARD.

Tnp Auckland tramway employees hare apparently gained little by going to the Arbitration Court for a now award, seeing that this, now they have obtained it, is in tlip main question at issue, that of wages, almost identical with its predecessor, t!ip now factors introduced being such as need hardly have called the elaborate machinery of the Court into operation.The now award is practically the sumo as the, Auckland award of 1001, of which the award given in Duncdiu la.st year was practically again a repetition. As a natural and probably desirable tendency exists that tho tramway service conditions in tho centres should approach uniformity as

far as Arbitration Court awards aro concerned, a very considerable interest attached to the proceedings before the Court at Auckland last month. Had the Auckland Electric Tramways Industrial Union been snccosrful in its de.iiiumk' a new award giving concessions of ;i similar nature to the employee.*' would have had to lie anticipated in all probability by the Dunrdiu City Corporation at the expiry of the present award governing its tram sen-ice. The Auckland omployees demanded a considerable increase, in the rates of pay, hut comparison of the new award with its predecessor will show that all rates of )>ay remain practically the same, which means that in their most important aspect the desires of the employees have been deemed unreasonable. The principal concession that has been accorded the Auckland tramway employees is in the direction of paying them for time spent in travelling to termini to relievo shiFU, und to consideration in this respect the men were apparently fully entitled. Tlio Court hrw framed a number of recommendations for the benefit of the Tramways Company, the most important of which has to do with providing the ears with glass fronts. That the company may not regard the recommendation with much favour is possible in view of the fact that an alteration of all the cars in the direction indicated would mean a considerable capital expenditure on its part, inasmuch as a readjustment of brake arrangements would be necessitated. It can hardly be doubted that glass fronts on cars are very desirable from the point of view of tho motormen, and the recommendations of the Court in this and other directions only aim at promoting conditions that already obtain in the Dunedin tramway service, On the Dnnedin cars the equipment will very shortly include in every case a seat for the motorman. As to the payment of motormen and conductors for time spent in travelling to termini to relieve .shifts, as a, different system prevails in Dunedin hi the manner in which the men go on duty the concession given in Auckland in that connection has only a local importance. The evidence given before the Court at tlio Auckland sitting was interesting, and on behalf of the Tramway Company it was stoutly emphasised that the "political agreement" whereby prior to last general election the "Wellington tramway employees secured an increased rate of pay, at a. cost of something like £6000 annually to the City Corporation, was mainly responsible for the dissatisfaction manifested subsequently among the employees in other centres. The managing director of the. Auckland Tramway Company stated in giving evidence before the Arbitration Court that if the demands of the employees were acceded to as presented to the Court it would involve the company in an extra animal expenditure exceeding £](i,OOO, and Mr Alexander, traffic superintendent of the Dnnedin municipal tramways, stated on the same occasion that if the recent Auckland demands wore applied to the Dunedin system an increased annual expenditure of £3500 would bo entailed for motormen and conductors alone. These amounts are not insignificant, and it is not surprising that the Auckland Tramway Company should have strenuously resisted the recent demands of its employees. However, tlio concessions obtained by the latter are all such as will contribute materially to their wellbeing in minor yet not unimportant matters, especially if the recommendations of the Court are given effect to, as no doubt will be the. case, silt-hough a difiicnlty may bo anticipated over the matter of an annual eight days' holiday on Ivalf-wngcs\ Tlio decision of the Court- in the Auckland dispute amounts to a non-acceptanco of the standard of wages obtaining among the Wellington, tramway employees.