RAILWAYMEN AND MILITARY SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 17936, 30 January 1917, Page 5

RAILWAYMEN AND MILITARY SERVICE

AGAIN DISCUSSED.

APPEALS ADJOURNED.

(Per United Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, January 29,

The position of trained railw’ay servants drawn in the military ballot, and the Railway Department’s qlaims. in this respect, was threshed out before-the; sitting of the recently ttonal Military Service Board this afternoon.

Mr W. H, S. Moorhouse presided, and had with h}m Mr A. L. Considlne,. and. Mr M. J. Mack. On behalf of the General Manager for Railways Mr J. Bevin appealed for the exemption of a number of railway hands. In reference to the first appeal case of Mr F. R. Milne, stationmaster, Ongadue, Mr Bevin • said that Milne was a trained man, and his services were necessary so that operations of the Department might be carried out successfully. Owing to the shortage of staff the Railway Department was experiencing great difficulty in carrying on Its work. The Chairman remarked that the Board wished to emphasise that, whenever the Railway Department withdrew anyone from the first ballot, it imposed additional hardships on other men of the second ballot.

Mr Bevin replied that the department was quite aware of this. Up to March 31st, 1916, 728 permanent railway hands had enlisted, while up to December 7th a total of 2794 of the Department’s staff had enlisted, representing about 25 per cent, of the permanent staff. Some of these places had been filled by inexperienced men, and in some cases not filled at all. . In addition to this, 1500 casual hands had enlisted since the outbreak of the war. The bulk of these casual hands were trained men. This made an approximate total of 4294 trained men that the Department had lost since the outbreak of the war. At present there were altogether 2141 vacancies. The General Manager of the Department was particularly anxious to retain certain trained men. There appeared to be a certain misapprehension among the public that the Railway Department was not doing much to help on the war, and the speaker wished to give this an emphatic contradiction. Mr Bevin referred to the matter of race trains. Whether the Department proposed to alter the existing arrangements in this respect, he said, was a matter of policy. In reply to a question by the Chairman in regard to the employment of female labour to fill vacancies, Mr Bevin said that the Department had taken on a considerable number of women, > but that it was impossible to fill many vacancies in this way. Women could not very well be employed on shift work at country stations, and they could hardly be employed In shunting operations. Captain Baldwin, the military representative, inquired if traffic had been curtailed since the outbreak of war in respect to “luxury trains.” Mr Bevin: “The public come along, and they have to be served. Besides, what do you mean by luxury trains?” Capt. Baldwin: “Race trains, show trains, and holiday trains. Now, if you eliminate these luxury trains, would it not free a large number of hands?” Mr Bevin: “And suburban would also have to be cut down? Capt. Baldwin: “Yes, I would suggest a 12 hours’ service.” Mr Bevin admitted that this would ease matters. The question was not one for him to give an opinion on, but one for the General Manager. At this stage Mr E, H. Hiley, the General Manager, made a few comments and explanations on the evidence given by Mr Baldwin. In regard to suburban services, he stated that this matter had been gone into very carefully by special conferences, but that no decision had been arrived at yet to curtail the services. Mr Hiley said that, if the Government decided to abolish cheap fares, excursion tickets, and other such attract traffic” schemes, they would then see what traffic it would drive away, and, consequently, would be able to arrive at a basis as to what members of the staff they could dispense with. Mr Mack: "Do you consider it necessary traffic to carry such things as racehorses, show cattle, or say theatre people at reduced prices?” Mr Hiley replied that as long as the Government advertised such traffic the Department must cater for it. Capt; Baldwin; "And from your knowledge can vou say that every man you are appealing for is necessary for present services?” Mr Hilev: "From my own knowledge, I can say this; Other officers are as anxious as I am that we should not be open to any censure in this respect. The point is, wc have come to our limit.” Eventually the Board decided to adjourn the appeals until May Ist, subject to the appellants remaining in their present positions.