THE RAILWAYS

Southland Times, Issue 21580, 18 December 1931, Page 8

THE RAILWAYS

CASUAL HANDS RATIONING SYSTEM MR COATES IN AGREEMENT (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, December 17. About 200 members of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association held a meeting at the Addington workshops to-day when a resolution was passed protesting against hardships being inflicted by the retrenchment of long term casual workers and asking the Government to reconsider their position. The resolution also expressed “alarm and disgust” about the economies directed at the lower paid men without any proportionate sacrifice among the highest paid officers of the service. Letters were read from the. general secretary of the organization in Wellington in which he stated the Hon. J. G. Coates had agreed to a rationing system being initiated to avoid discharging men now under notice, and also those to receive notice between now and March 31. Rationing had not yet been accepted by the men, but the general secretary recommended it as the only humanitarian course in the circumstances. He will address the men at Addington on Saturday explaining the proposal. In one of his letters the secretary stated the Railway Board was opposed to rationing.