RAILWAY OFFICERS INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 55

RAILWAY OFFICERS INSTITUTE.

CONCLUSION OF THE CONFERENCE. The Executive Council of the Railway Officers’ Institute completed its work on Saturday morning, when the most important item was the election of oUlcers, which resulted "as follows: President, Mr J. Young (Christchurch); vice-presidents—-Messrs A. Ji. O’Loughlen (Auckland), A. \V. Hutchings (Wellington). C. I’. Ryan (Wanganui). J. Kane (Dunedin). M. Angus (Invercargill); general treasurer. Mr W. O. Ennis (Dunedin); Executive Committee--Messrs 11. Thomas, G. Matthowson, G. A. Turner, D. Wallace, G. Griffiths (all of Dunedin), E. Eiulayson (Green Island), and W. A. Marshall (Sawyers’ Bay) A smoke concert was held in the Waratah Tea Rooms in the evening, when close on 100 members of the imtitute and also several guests were present. Loyalty to the service was the chief keynote struck by the speakers, while there was alf»> a very optimistic tono that at last the men of the first division were going to receive better consideration at the iiands of the Government and the Minister of Railways. Mr G. Burnett occupied the chair, and in opening the concert read apologies from the Hon. J. Alien and Messrs E. 11. Clark and T. K. Sidey. Ho also complimented the delegates to the conference on the manner in which they had stuck to their work during the week, and said it would no doubt l>o very satisfactory for all of them to know, from the little that had leaked out concerning the proceedings, that there really was now a prospect of ftometh ng being done to improve the conditions of the men in Division 1, t.spcehdly tho ■junior members. — (“’Hoar, hoar. ) speaker then proposed tho toast of “Tho Visiting Delegates.'’ Mr A. W. Morgan (Anekiami). f Mr Denneliy (Wanganui), and Mr E. Casey (Auckland) replied. Mr A. Graham, an cx-pivo cent of the institute and now on the superannuated Ist, proposed the tox-t of “The Railway Service.’’ Sp; aking in remin scent vein, he said that when he landed at the Bluff many years ago an embryo Brirne Minister and "a'Minister of Railways was then a lad plating on the sandhills. He referred to Sir" Joseph Ward, who had been a real and finere e Lie f the railway eer.ants.— (“Hear, hear.”) Mexesm Wan ■ Macandrew, and Gnlon briefly' responded, the last-named remarkin''- tiiat he thought the institute shou d endeavour to do .something to get a shift for men who had served in isolated places for a term, referring niwc particularly to the Wist Coast. He said nobody wanted to get there and everybody wanted to leave. (Langther.) . Tho toast of sister branches was proposed ))•■ M- \ K Harris, and responded to by Messrs (..‘raih well (Napier). _ Mack ley ilnvercargill). and Fitzpatrick (West Coast). Mr Youii"- president of tho Executive Council, proposed tho toast of “Tiie Executive GoliimitteO. ’ . . . Mr J. Kano, in responding, saiel it was now four years since they hud taken on t lionise!Vi s the task of endeavouring to irnprov service conditions and to see that (■very member was paid a fair and reasonable Wage for the duties he performed. — jo j[ ( . a r, hear.”) The light had been a long and strenuous one, but they had always endeavoured to carry it on in a fair manner, and after about four years of hard toil they were about to real) that reward to which thev were justly entitled.—(Applause.) Tho executive, after about 12 months dealing with the present Minister of Railways, was pleased to* note that he was going to carry out the promises made to the executive.— (Loud applause.) This would mean extended loyally to the Minister; it also meant that tho department was going to be kinder to the association than in the past. He was quite sure that when the department improved the service conditions it would have no difficulty in getting the right sort of cadet, to enter the service. Hie speaker then made particular reference to tao financial ae.pcct of the institute, and foreshadowed an increase in the c.-ntribntions bv members to meet the heavy e xpemhturo incurred during the para few years. c -voral other toasts were proposed and responded to. 'fii • Lunds Department provides in its E-timaic* for a payment of £2O per month to Joshua Joncfi, the Mokttu hinds claimant.