PATIENCE EXHAUSTED.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15782, 2 April 1919, Page 5

PATIENCE EXHAUSTED.

Says the Christchurch Sun; Crickena have a habit of coming home to roost, and those of the Minister of Railways are no exception. They are likely to prove intractable birds. The loco, men are talking strike. For the last six or seven years they have been pressing for improved conditions and increased wages. For the same period the Minister in charge has fobbed them off on one pretext or another. Meanwhile, the men gave the country faithful and continuous service in peaceful and troubled industrial times. Their rewards to date have been Ministerial nonchalance and evasiveness and a war bonus. There has been no relief in the matter of conditions. Frankly, those conditions are impossible, almost debasing. The men have little or no home life, and arc compelled to work intolerably long hours, day or night, under a weird system of overtime which has freakish results. The somewhat languid Mr Hcrrios has, not played the game with these servants of his, who have the strongest possible case. It seems that he is not greatly concerned to make the service contented. It was no trouble for him to promise a lot of things, but ho always stopped short of performance. This policy has exhausted the men’s patience. and little wondei*. Time after time they have approached the Minister, only to meet with recurring disappointments. Last session the men presented a petition for increased wages for nignt work and one for additional remuneration all round. The House sympathetically referred both petitions to the consideration of Cabinet. What, Cabinet did with them probably Mr Herries alone is able to say. The fact remains that little or nothing has been done to remove the grievances and render the loco- men justice, and a strike is threatened. _ If the threat is translated into practice, the consequences will be grave. _ A stoppage of the trams, besides dislo eating trade throughout the country, would receive the backing of the whole body of workers allied with the Transport Federation. What that would mean, with winter approaching, we { leave our readers to imagine for themselves. Does Mr Herries intend to wait until the conflagration arrives before he moves? As we have said, the locomotive branch of the railway service possesses a good case; such a ■ case as is hound to enlist the sympathies of all classes of citizens. It is • idle for the Minister to attempt to deny the propriety of the men’s claims. We are well aware that if the loco, hands obtain satisfaction two other railway societies will bnve to receive similar consideration. 'lhe departmental attitude on that point is that it will cost the country another million and a half per annum. Even that fact—if toe figures are correct —will not, we believe, prevent those who foot the bill from’espousing the cause of Ihe present claimants. Locomotive work w, for the most part, disagreeable and arduous. Add to those conditions tang, dragging hours of labour and indifferent earnings, «nd the position approximates to a scandal. The Minister a complacency must be disturbed. We feel certain that if the loco, leaders place their evidence fairly before * too people, and continue to prosecute their demands in a constitutional manner, toe pressure of public opinion will eventually bring Mr Hemes to his senses. A transportation stnke m ox- ' { isting circumstances would be disas- ’ trous. It is the duty of Cabinet (and the community) to intervene before too situation gets out of hand. * M J.. , ' ■T,,! •,' „ .ufc