STATEMENT BY MR BENT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12254, 13 May 1903, Page 7

STATEMENT BY MR BENT.

SERIOUS POSSIBILITIES RECOGNISED. '• Dismiss them right off," djclarcd Mr Bent to a Melbourne "'Age" representative on April 2 ( Jth T when asked what the next step would be if the members of the executive of +he associations concerned refused to either 1 , sever their connection with the Trades Hall or resign their executive posts. "Some of them, I know," cor. tin-, ued the Minister, ''expect thai, they will be charged before the Appeal Board with insubordination. L«~t me tell them there will be no Appeal Board business about this." If those . executive ofiiccrs do not obey their, employers within three days, out they go." ! You recognise that if the members' iof the executives arc dismissed, there, is a probability of the rank and iile of the associations refusing to continue work ? ■ " I do," :

What would be the next stop en behalf of the 'Government.

"1 won't anticipate troub^ I' have no desire to irritate the men.! But this I will bay :— The Government : j is prepared to take the consequences of whatever it does, and the employ- 1 ees must, on their part, be also pre-i' pared to take the eonstquences of any-, thing they do. That is all. The Government has looked ahead. Thepos?-,. bibility of the general body of .'he associations following the members of the executive, if the latier are dismissed, has been considered. We are aware that we uvc not fighting two or three gentlemen." But do you anticipate that the dispute will reach such serious extremes 7

'• I should imagine that the nu.in body of the employees will show some loyalty to the State. They are treated better than outsiders. They have many special advantages — security of tenure as. long as they behave themselves, pensions in a large number of cases, .constant employment, eto. Have they- not in these circuni'-tance.s every reason to be loyal ? But t cannot help Haying that the men haM 1 treated me badly from the -+art. I went into the department at n V-me'of great depression. — at a time when the finances were all awry. Because we imposed slight percentage reductions of which the members of the ' Govern, munt contributed nearly £1000 of the £75,000, they at the start threatened a strike. Now they follow that up by flouting the Government by joining v body that is no good to anybody, the . members of which, so far as I know, do little but abuse better men than! themselves. Further, this body employs abusers. They bring over a fellow who was convicted of stJJin^ adulterated beer to working men in England. I see at the Eight Hours' luncheon they talked about the Government. Let me say that 1 was one of the iirst eight hours men in Brighton. Further, for four months 1 have been engaged in trying- to perfect a scheme for giving the suburban drivers eight hours a day. All I get for thi.-> is abuse. " These men talk about their treatment by ihe Government as if ro other Government in the world aded in the same way. Why, in New South Wale" they have lately dismissal hundreds of railway men, and they are now putting on heavy perconta^i deductions. What with the drought and one thing and another our revenue is £174,000 behind. Does not th»l justify the coonomiefs elVgcted by tho Government V They growl about the live days a week, but that docs rot apply io all of them. T believe halt of them are getting full time. Thi<Trades Hall matter blocks mo with the locomotives. If T could u<> on with tho building of the engines 1 would be able to give a lot it. ore of the men six days' work a week. Hut I am certainly not going to start that work at Newport while the men are

connected with an organisation that is trying- io drag the State down." th/AAllSiSWliifi oWicsW at-lowoti--*t-b« ivU.4iriiati.ve- -of- t-eniyain^-their respocti\o positions? " The executives appoint the dolegates to tho Trades Hall, 1 understand. If they resign their responsibility oncls. They become ordinary members of their associations. It it> tho executive members who ,-arry out these things. -But I tell you once more that if those executive momberb do not ceasse their connection with thq Trades' Ilall they will be >aoLod— ever>'one of ihem. " I don't want to say a single word that will irritate the men," observed the Minister in conclusion, ''|mt I have a duty to perform, and that duty, in the interests of the public, will be pcrfdrMied, whatever 1L- Cc-ii-may be."