RAILWAY APPEALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25015, 8 September 1942, Page 2

RAILWAY APPEALS

LONG HOURS AT WORKSHOPS (Special) AUCKLAND, Sept. 5. The No. 2 (Auckland) Armed Forces Appeal Board dealt with almost 90 individual appeals by the Railways Department against the military service of employees in . the traffic branch, the Otahuhu railway workships, and the stores department. The district traffic manager, Mr G. S. Reid, stated that the revenue of the railways for the financial year ended March 31, 1942. was over £3,285,000, an increase of £223,000 on the previous year and £580,000 on the year before. To handle the extra amount of work caused by the reduction of road services, he said, it was essential for a considerable staff to be maintained. Mr F. W. Horrobin, who supported the appeals of men at the workshops-, pointed out that the great bulk of the work undertaken at the workshops now was essential, and that very few of the men appealed for were working fewer than 60 hours a week. In the majority of the cases sine die adjournments were granted, while others were allowed sine die adjournments, with direction by the board that they take up alternative service with the Home' Guard or the Emergency Precautions Set-vice.