MANY DISMISSALS.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17839, 11 October 1929, Page 9

MANY DISMISSALS.

VICTORIAN RAILWAYS. MONEY STRINGENCY. A hint was dropped by the Minister for Railways, Mr Frank Groves, that all-round reductions were to he made shortly in all branches of the railways services, says a Melbourne , paper. j He conveyed the idea at an inter- ■ view with representatives of the Yio- : torian branch of the Australian Rail- : ways Union, who protested against ; the continuous dismissals talcing j place in the railways, and pleaded for j a halt to be called, j Mr Groves gave the union reprei sentatives a straight talk, in which he | brought them face to face with the i financial impasse which has caused all Governments in the Commonwealth j to think furiously. J Various speakers told the Minis--1 ter that the position of the Union had ; never been worse. Railwaymen who j had been In the service all their lives ! were being thrown on the industrial j scrapheap without any chance of ob- ; taining work outside. There was no j indication that the higher ranks were being dealt with. The Minister said that they would see presently what was to be done with them. The service was being combed from top to bottom. The position was a most unfortunate one, but the situation Avas that the financial obligations of Australia were in the bands of the Federal Loan Council, and it was impossible to get more money. Curtailment had to be made in all departments, and there would be no discrimination.