CASUAL HANDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17038, 23 June 1917, Page 13

CASUAL HANDS

cjuktaeument AT ADDINGTON -'■ WORKSHOPS. STATEMENT BY MINISTER OFi RAILWAYS. 5 > The following telegram was received oa:: Siturday by Dr Thicker, MJE\_ from the : Minister of Railways (tie Hon. W H. Hemes) regarding the discharge of certain; employees at. the Addington : :i 'With further reference to your representations regarding the shortening of staff at the Addington Workshops, you are "na>; doubt fully aware that as & of the war great trouble exists in connection with shipping transport. This has greatly '; accentuated the difficulty in prwjuring? material arising from the inability of manu-S faccurers to supply the bulk of the materials-1: ordered by the Railway Department dur- '• mg the past two years and a-haif. Every endeavour has been made to prbouiro > materials in markets other than Great Britain, but without success.' The ment, therefore, has been compelled by cireumstances over which it has no oouitrolv to curtail its rolling-stock building nrogramme, and* will bo - carrying out renewals and repairs of exist- ; mg stock. Enforced curtailment of the now . rolling stock programme volves reduction in the number* of super" numerary hands engaged in the workshops, J so as to ensure continuity of employment for the regular hands. The men havebeea : kept on as long as it was possible so ;toi : do, and their retirement from the servioa'if is brought about entirely by difficulties that: nave arisen from the war. No men ari : '< being paid off in trades that are as essential by the department, apd sinclo v men on the permanent and regular casual!} staff who are eligible for military service,' 1 ' 1 ' ana who are retained, will be released' w-fi soon as they are drawn in the ballot" '< " MOST UNSATISFACTORY." I Dr Thacker, in commenting upon letter, said that he considered the stated'-'; ment made by the Minister most unsafeiV''-' factory. It was in no way compatible with the statements made by Mr M'Villy on bet,? half of the department before the "Military • Boards, to the effect that''the« workshops operations were being hampered for lack of men. "If- the .teal ?>i ; reason for these dismissals is material,' added the doctor, "the Ministermust have known the position months and he should have given the men indication of what was going to happen;'| so that they might have obtained other'" employment. It was not fair- to turn then*'?! out at a week's notice, as- has been doneC I " ' ■ -T-: