PAPAKURA TOWN BOARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 662, 14 May 1929, Page 10

PAPAKURA TOWN BOARD

WORKERS’ TRAINS DISCUSSED The Papakura Town Board, met last evening, Mr. James McCall presiding. The chairman congratulated the Rev. -yV. C. Wood on his election to the Auckland Hospital Board. The general manager of railways in a letter to the board said the alteration of the 7.3 a’.m. train to 6.54 a.m. Papakura and Auckland was made as a special inducement to workers commencing at an early hour to live in the suburbs. He also pointed out that this traffic is in a sense unremunerative, and he could not agree to extension of availability of these tickets to trains arriving after 8 a.m. The Rev. W. C. Wood said that many workers did not start till 8.30 and 9 a.m. and were in reality in receipt of a smaller wage than those that travelled to reach Auckland before 8 a.m. He thought it might be arranged for workers wishing to travel latar to sign an affidavit to the effect that they were workers and in receipt of certain wages. There were many workers who were only juniors who had to travel by early trains and loaf about the city for an hour or pay the higher rates. Apparently the general manager held that the term worker only applies lo those doing manual work. Mr. Leitch said what was required was a train leaving a little later or. which workers’ tickets would be available. It was decided to reply to the general manager expressing thanks for his concession, but to point out that it was really a concession only in timetable, and that a concession to workers to travel a little later by the 7.45 a.m. train was what was really requested by many genuine workers.