RATIONING WORK.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 303, 22 December 1931, Page 5

RATIONING WORK.

Mr Coates Wishes to Clear Up a Point. “NO OVERRIDING.” Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, December 22. ‘‘lt has been brought to my notice that the secretary of the New Zealand Railway Tradesmen’s Association has been reported, in addressing its members, as having .stated that Mr Coates has suggested that he would override the Railways Board. I wish it to be clearly understood that as one of those who favoured the board system 1 have made no such remark, and no intimation in any interview, and no words of mine used at any time could be so interpreted.” This statement was made by the Rt Hon J. G. Coates, Minister of Public Works, in discus-

sing proposals to ration work among railway employees as an alternative to dismissals. In a letter read at a meeting of the Railway Tradesmen’s Association in Christchurch, Mr S. Ingram, general secretary of the association, said that

the board was opposed to rationing,

but that Mr Coates, realising that there was absolutely nothing offering for the men outside, was in favour of it as the only solution of the difficulty, and that he had told Mr Ingram definitely that the men could be saved only thrq.ugh agreeing to ration work. “ I firmly believe that the board is a sound system of controlling our railways; also, it is far from my wish that anyone should interpret remarks of mine to mean that I in any way, or at any time, desired to usurp the duties of others, and particularly those of any colleague of mine who administers a department,” added Mr Coates. “It is true that Mr Ingram, who has repeatedly sought interviews and was advised by me in the presence of a State official, when asking me to make provision for men who were under notice, that so difficult was the general financial position that he might well place before his members an alternative to dismissals, namely, that of rationing some of the work. 1 was unable to inform Mr Ingram whether the Minister, the board or the management would favour such a proposal.