SMOKE CONCERT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15857, 1 September 1913, Page 7

SMOKE CONCERT

MEN or THE FOOTTLATE. The third annual smoki concert of the iDunedin brancii- of the Eyjjtno Drivers, Firemen, and Cleaners' Association was held, in tho Kensington Oduiellowa' Hall on Saturday night, and was attended by oyer 130 railway men' and visitors. The president of the < branch (M? J. Barclay) occupied the chair, and had on his right Mr S. Kennedy ' (Chratrihurch) president of the Dominion Association, and on his left Mr W. M'Arley, general secretary, llho concert proved most successful, some fine, musical talent coming forward. Mr D. Lyons has a very sweet tenor voice, witn a good range, and gave a splendid rendering of ''Mary of Argyle,''. while Mr'K. M'Lpan/again to'id how 11 Mother , Hubbard Went to the Cupboard," in good style. The specohes; however, did not appear to reach such a high level or to strike such\ u note as .those .given at last year's smoke ' concert, the responsible speakers confining themselves mostly to generalities. Pos-, sib.y, however; a smoke concert is not . the place where too serious' topics should be oronchcd. Mr M'Arloy, nevertheless, did not mince matters when speaking of tho men's cltfirrw, which, he claimed, had, up to the present, v not received that attention from the Minister of Railways whicn, he claimed, they should have received; Tho Chairraan, in his opening remarks, stated' that ths was the third annual 6inoke concert Jield in commemoration of the official recognition of their organisation. Their organisation was formed, he said, for the benefit of the tnen individually and collectively, and to bring about good understanding between themselves told the heads of the department.—(Applause.) Mr J. Henderson, local secretary, proposed the health of the Engine Drivers, li'iretnen, and Cleaners' Association in. a fluent specoh. In responding, Mr, Kennedy said ho •looked upon tho Dunedin branch as the model branch of the association,, and 6poke in a eulogistic vein of tho manner in which; it conducted its business. Mr Kennedy

continued that the president was usually 1

expected to speak on any current outstanding labour question,' and give his opinion oil it, and say what their policy was going to be; ' At the time of the July labour conference there were a gveat many asking him (the speaker) if the association was going to be represented. The executive council, however, decided not to be represented, and to those who had asked hiiii

the reason, he had said,

'Well, it is like

this: We don't know what is going to cornu of ; this conference, but we have a very strong idea that there is want of unanimity among the partita. If, however, the conference is going to perform good work, the basis of winch lenfJs itself to a betterment of themselves, the railway men will join. l ' Some, of the labour leaders, the speaker went on, considered it was rather a selfish attitude for them, to take'up; perhaps it was. But it was good business, and it wna better for tile two labour parties to amalgamate before they joined in with. them.— (Applause). Mr Kennedy conoiuded. by stating that they members of their branch, of the servico should always rejoice when anytiliing happened to better tho conditions of the workers in' other 'branches ot tho service. —(App.ause.) 1 Mr M'Arley aiso responded to. the toast. He said their association had been progressing right from tho start, when it had a membership of 600. Tho total was Any 1540, out of a possible 1600. This association had a eick benefit fund. They were in the unfortunate position, of not receiving sick-pay lrom tho Government, and the men did no: even got full pay when they met with accidents when pursuing their, work. They camo under the Workers' Compensation Act. What' they wanted was full pay when a riian met with an acc.dent at his work, and he (the speaker) thought it was only a fair request. In regard to wages, Dhey had a big uphill fight. • He thought the maximum lor drivers should be 16s per day, and lis for firemen., .The Government, howover, 'seemed' to deal out the increases in sixpences/ and if it continued would pro r ,biably deal them out in threepences The speaker maintained that the men should receive double pay for working on Christmas Day and Good Friday, but the Govern^. ment, up to the present time, had' refused it. The Arbitration Court, however, had, in a great many eases, awarded double rates for Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday. If the public required them to work on those days, it should be pre. pared to pay extra for the work.—(Applause.) Ho hoped that the Government would have a little sympathy with. their claims. Although-it hid been said it\was' a Reform Government, they had not seen very much reform up to tho present time. A number of the workers 6Cemed to think it was a " Deform " Government However, it was only fair to give the new Government a little time tc see what it would do Tho heads of the association, the speaker went on; did not see anything to prevent a federation of the different bodies, all working in unison, for the common good of. everybody,—(Loud applause.) They were quite open to join in. Reverting to the- Government, the speaker said tho men had not received tho same Sympathy from the- present Minister of Railways as from Mr Millar. Whenever they had a genuine griovance, Mr Millar always gave it' a. very fair hearing.—(Applause.) "However,' we must give him a show. He has not been long a Minister," said candid Mr M'Arley, referring- to Mr Hcrries. The speaker told of what he I had seen on his trip-to Australia. He said that in one State the drivers got 16s a day and the firemen lis. A, maximum of £l a day for drivers and 1& for firemen was what they were aiming at over there. From what ho had seen on his travels, ho considered that- Dunedin had one of the finest sheds in Australasia.' There was an absenco of level crossings in Australia, overhead or underground, lines being provided. As showing the extent: of the Melbourne suburban service, it was stated that 68,000,000 passengers had been carried on them in-eight months. Touching on tho question of strikes, the speaker 6aid when ■ they got turned down time after time, the tendency was to get men to strike sooner than bo bullied by the department. Ho hoped the apppal that the association was making to Parliament would meet with success.' " The whisper is that wo.will get a sprat."—(Laughter.)

A large number of other /toasts were proposed, and a full list of songs,' recitations, etc., the accompaniments being played by Mr Gordon Titchener./. Mr W. Belcher responded to tho toast of "Enginemen in -other lands," his father having been a locomotive driver at Home.

At an interval, Mr Paton, who has retired from the footplate after 40 years' service, was presented with a gold locket and chain, and Mr Ewart, past chairman, with a gold medallion of the association.

Sir G. Griffiths, of the Locomotive Department, was presented with a case of pipes by the members of the Locomotivo R.F.U. Mr J. Henderson, tho able and 'indefatigable secretary, had the details of ■tho smoke concert so well arranged that everything went off very smoothly.