RAILWAY OFFICERS' INSTITUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15196, 15 July 1911, Page 10

RAILWAY OFFICERS' INSTITUTE.

SMOKE CONCERT. During the current week the annual conference of delegates of tho Railway Olficors' Institute of New Zealand has been sitting in Dunedin, and last night tho local branch of tho institute entertained tho delcgates at a smoko' concert in the Waratah Tea Rooms. There was a very largo attcndanco of members, the spacious room being filled to its utmost capacity for comfort. Mr G. Burnett, chief clerk of the engineer's office, Dunedin, presided, and was supported on his right by tho president of the conference (Mr A. Graliam, etationmastcr at Port Chalmers), and 011 his left by Mr J. Young, chief clork, engineer's office, Christchurch. At tho chairman's tabic woro also seated the other members of tho conference. . . The loyal toast, which hod a special significance 011 the occasion, bcintg the data of tho investiture, having bocn musically honoured, Tho Chairman proposed the toast of " The Delegates;" In doing so, Mr Burnett said ho did rot know anything of £he deliberations of tho conference, but ho had ; 110 doubt they would bo to the advantage , of the service, as well as of the officers of • tho department.—(Applauso.) Mr A. Graham, in r«?i>onding to tho ; toast, referred to the fact that out of the 1 conferences of the Railway Officers' Insti- ; tute ho had token part in nine. At this ' present conference every branch of the serI vice was represented, and thoy could depend upon it that every subject brought up , had been carefully studied and digested. Ho was not at liberty to discuss what had transpired at the conference, but in courso of time tho full proceedings wouldi bo available. The wliole effort of tho tonferonc had been to do justico to the department and to the men represented. That 1 had 1 been the feeling throughout. Mr O'Loughlcn (goods agent, Auckland) 1 oxoressed appreciation of tho manner in , which tho delegates had been received and entertained in Dunedm. He desired to express the gratification of the confeicuoo at tho exoellent work which had been done by 1 tlio Permanent Committee, that work liav--1 ing very greatly facilitated the labours of delegates. Mr O'Loughlen also paid a ! tribute to tho labours of the secretary and editor of the Advocate. Their paper was doing good work, and was the moans of keeping tho institute in its present pros- ' porous condition. He could only hope that tho conference about to conclude would be 1 productive of good results. The delegates, he 1 thought, had assembled witlii one idea, and that was the advancement of tho service as a wholo. He was glad to know that it was recognised that tlio delegates had come to t Dunedm to work and not to enjoy themMr' W. G. Vray (Greymouth) also re spondod to tho toast. , Mr D. Wallace proposed Tho Railway i Service." He said thero were about 3000 , miles of railway in New Zealand, ovsr : which last year 11 million passengers and ' fivo and a-half million tons of wero \ carried, whilst a staff of 12,000 men in ail | "-rades was employed to maintain tho serI vice. Both mentally and physically the work of tho railway man was of tho most 1 strenuous of any walk in life, and eertaimy ' equal to that given by tlio members of the . Post and Telegraph Department.—( Api plause.). Mr Pipor, traffic manager at Dunedm, in responding to a heartily honoured toast, said tho dc6iro of the department was to maintain an efficient service, He did not think it a wise thing that officers of any branch should indulgo in a policy of abuse or go in for critical fault-finding. Their aim should bo for tho substanco and not tho shadow. So long as tho institute looked at itho wider benefits at which they were aiming, tho bettor it would bo for all concerned. Mr Macandrew, district engineer for Ota go, in the course of his reply 6aid it was an honour to work with tho men of his department, and paid a deserved tributo to tho maintenance and repair men, whoso services are so necessary to the transit of tho travelling pnblic. Mr R. M'Crnckcn, in proposing "Sister Branches," mentioned that thero woro 1750 members of all branches belonging to tho institute, leaving only 180 still to come in.— Messrs Hutchings (Wellington), Dcnnehy (Wanganui), and M'Phmon (Invercargili) responded in suitable terms to the toast. Other toasta honoured wero:—"Co.untry Members," proposed by Mr li. P. Wc6t and responded to by Messrs Gibson and Isherwocd: "Kindred Societies," proposed by Mr W. Smith and responded to by Messrs Barnett (A.S.R.S.) and Hemlorcon (E.F.C.A.); "Tho Press"; "Ladies"; and " Tho_ Chairman." During tho evening a capital musical programmo was rendered. The Railway Glee Club sang a number of most, acceptable items in very creditable style, and solns wer 0 contributed by Messrs O'Connor, Dick--16011, West, Browne!!, Henderson, and Campbell. Mr A. E. Brittsin made an acceptable accompanist. A thoroughly enjoyabb evening was concluded with tlio singing of " Auld lang syne."