THE RAILWAY TROUBLE

Southland Times, Issue 18105, 4 June 1919, Page 5

THE RAILWAY TROUBLE

CONFERENCE TO BE HELD. (Per United Press Association.) .WELLINGTON, June 3. Further correspondence of a lengthy nature has passed between the Acting Prime Minister and the Locomotive Engineers’, Firemen and Cleaners’ Association in reference to the Association’s demands. After reviewing the circumstances of previous deputations, Sir James Allen concludes his letter with the following statement: “With regard to the suggestion that a round table conference should be arranged to further discuss the proposals, I have to state that the Hon. W. H. Herries and the General Manager of Railways would be quite willing to meet your council on June 9, the questions for discussion being matters that affect the Railway Department, which is under the control of Mr Herries. He will, of course, as is usual in such cases, preside at the meeting. A little reflection will have no doubt convinced you that another Minister of the Crown could not permit himself to be placed in a false position by presiding over the meeting held for the purpose of reviewing the decision of a colleague and concerning that colleague’s administration of his own department. With reference to the 44-hour week, I would point out that this applies strictly to the various workshops and not to the running sections of maintenance, locomotive or traffic branches.” In reply to this letter a communication has been sent to the Acting Prime Minister by the L.F.C. Association, in which they state that their executive council would be pleased to accept the arrangements made by the Minister of Railways and express the hope that for the sake of industrial peace, some good will eventuate. The Executive Council regrets that the Government could not agree to allow to act as chairman a Minister who had experience in railway administration and who gave general satisfaction while Minister of Railways. It is contended that Sir James Allen’s statement regarding the 44-hour week is not in keeping with the Minister’s promise that if he gave anything to the loco, men he could not resist it to others in the railway service.