The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. Lueco Non Uro. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6th 1882.

Southland Times, Issue 4495, 6 December 1882, Page 2

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. Lueco Non Uro. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6th 1882.

We haye not been much about the rail* way station for some time, iior have we had occasion to travel on any pf. the lines, and therefore are unable to speak,ilike the News, to the latest aspect worn by the railway officials. Btltrif OUf contemporary is to be believed, a sad change has come over that once jolly and somewhat fortunate body of men., , A blight has come upon their lives and fortunes, and we are told that they now wear an a3pect of deep gloom, have lost the look of freedom and independence, and answer in monosyllables. We should be deeply moved by this description if we did not know something of the imaginative power of our contemporary, and of the little game that always underlies his reference to any department under the control of the existing Government. Somehow our hearts are not torn by the affecting description, and we live in the hope that next time we have occasion to drop in among our old fn'ends, we shall find them of opinion that " life is stillworth living," and that under Mr Maxwell, their lot is some few degrees removed from slavery. We have lifctle doubt that the downcast and moody victims are laughing heartily, with their wives, at the lugubrious heroics of the News, ami enjoying immensely the atatempt to pass them off as martyrs. It is a repetition on a small scale of Sir Qeo. Grey's attempt to convert into serfs the thriving and happy yeomanry of New Zealand. It is the knife-grinder's interlocutor, determined to make a helot of him, however jolly he may be at his wheel. It is a lucky thing for the railwaymen that they know better than their would-be mentors on which side their bread is buttered, and, that they dance to livelier music than that set them by the News. Why, what has happened ? Has title pay of o&ese oieq. &een reduced, i or their work doubled ? Have they }ost I any of the rights of citizenship, or have ! they been singled out in the Civil Service for exceptional treatment ? No such thing. They are simply asked to acknowledge authority, and bo amenable to the ordinary discipline of servants of the State. If they hung their heads for this, and went about moping and disconsolate, they would not be the kind of men wo lake them for. Let us see what is the oppression fcha't the News thinks ought, at least, to make fchfise wise men mad! This is the regulation that solves the " mystery " of moody looks, according to the News. " The attention of " employes is directed to rule 12, which " provides that if any servant feel ag- " grieved he may memorialise the Minis- " ter for Public Works, but in such caße " the memorial must be sent through " the chief of his department. It has " recently transpired that certain loco- " motive hands have placed themselves " in communication with memberg of the I " Legislature respecting official matters, •' intentionally neglecting the' usual " remedy open to them ; and that they " hare at the same time, in conjunction " with persons outside the department, " counselled their fejjow-workmen to " insubordination and disobedience. " Employes are cautioned against ioh, " lowing such practices, and are warned {i that in tuture such disobedience of the 11 rules will render them liable to imme- " diate dismissal," We will not ask the News, for it is hopeless and wants to be censorious, but we will ask any manly, reasonable workman, unspoiled by meddling demagogues, what there is to pull faces afc in ft notice like this ? Could any department enjoin less, and hope to hold in its hands the refftS of discipline .? Who, we should like to asfc/sbfl»)4 bg allowed to come between the Minister of Public Works and the men of hie - department, and why should these men be allowed to go behind the hacks of .their immediate chiefs, ip ppaeh tl)e ; Minister ? And yet it is' because £h/ay are ,'nofc to be suffered to ÜB# , political' power, and runto^ny member of Parliament whose ear infey. can gain — because they srp not suffered to league together! in. order to dictate} terms to their employers — because they apa not lto.« counsel their 4 fellow* workr '^.nienifcd insubordination and disobedi'iji ence ''—-it . is .Became of $ie*e , flings fchafe the Newsthjnks them: oppressed and; .eniifcleo 1 to assume the attitudeof men who hYve^sustained 4^ 1 jhjnjj/- D^n't let the men be j deceived xiflt $$&■ss rf&ney v that regard* for their ifreed^afl^lsfc penstemfl » at tfw w# «f foe wliQitu4«

' of ;ti^pf^;; Thpji^ v |^^otduojiM. that|^niii|^ill n^er ;^w %^N W the f Hehda j^f the worting m^n bo long asj theylclto th<pprbr^riig mer^BU^ semiSl ioSs v thas|lia^!littie ioi do with ; lE§u^|TOfctielsj!^Ehe|Nsei»'s ":-^ll-?^ae^, diflconteil^'in tlie 'fides "-oftS-the men when it thinks that discontent ought "»nytnlngnfforad~BO^WßuiFapariy-^ %ltrkngemeht'of-dl§lßß one. fromimotlierr "fOffien^ttefi^of'th-e^elenT^^^ and this effort for evel^tb'^kWp from j ihs there K ia J nMrag r to prevehr from being sonndj-aridjjiuited^r^lf ifeifereLnofe fe» th^se diMtnrbersiJof^hft' peace/ who Would pc nothing if,, they. were, not dis-j jiurbera^ '^lat^^OT^Lwpuld 5 thejiand, and " men wbpld^accept the jconditions that no legislation is rcapable■of alte^ing^-conditidhß that;can f ;be made - a ,curs^ :by ■ our.fighting" witEtnem, but. Jfcha£ wo!uld be a' blessing olf acquiesced in fas the inevitable order <Jf Providence.