RAILWAY SERVANTS SOCIETY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14579, 19 July 1909, Page 5

RAILWAY SERVANTS SOCIETY

ENGINEMEN'S SECESSION. A special meeting of tlio Otago Branch of Hit! Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was held in the Railway Club Rooms yesterday afternoon to consider the question of I ho Drivers and foremen's Society in its bearing and relation'to the A.S.R.S. Locomotive men had been extended a special invitation. There wero about 100 railway men present, but the great majority of them were members of the Drivers and Firemen's Society. Mr P. Nolan presided, and opened tlio meeting by stating that he would bo pleased if the locomotive men (members of I lie new society) would begin the discussion by giving, the grounds on which they considered themselves justified in tlio notion thoy had tuken. Tho members of the new society, however, firmly declined to be drawn, and obsorved a rigid silence throughout in regard to the motives that had actuated them in forming a separate body. Mr F. Murphy (vice-president of the Drivers and Firemen's Society) said thoy had no power to discuss tho matter, nor did they desire to do so. A challenge had been issued by the president of the A.S.R.S. io their own president inviting him to debate tho whole position, and they were awaiting developments in that connection. There accordingly being no arguments to meet, tho leading members of the local branch of the A.S.R.S. dealt with the position from the point of view of the general wolf are of railway men in New Zealand, and pointed out that union was strength and disunion disastrous. Towards the conclusion of the mooting a resolution was put forward in the following terms:—"That this meeting lias every confidenca in tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants." The Chairman refused'to accept the motion, for the reason that it was not in accordance with the spirit'of the meeting, and another resolution on similar lines was advanced, but its acceptance was not urged, and Ihon it was withdrawn. The Chairman said that for the members of the Drivers and Firemen's Society to bo consistent, not having taken part in the discussion, I hey should not vote on any motion put before the meeting. This members of the new society agreed to, and, on tho Chairman's suggestion, the following motion was framed and submitted:—" That, seeing that the locomotive men have refused to discuss or vote on the question of the formation of the Drivers and Firemen's Society, this meeting does not go further than express itself as having no fault to find with the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants." This,

the Chairman said, was a colourless motion, and could not give offence to anyone. The motion was put to the meeting and declared eorrie:! unanimously, the 26 members of the A.S.R.S. present, including two or three members of tho locomotive department, all recording their votes in favour of it. As agreed upon, the members of the Drivers and Firemen's Society refrained from voting.