TRAMWAY ENQUIRY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18362, 21 April 1925, Page 7

TRAMWAY ENQUIRY.

WOOD-WORKING DEPARTMENT. COMMITTEE'S FINDINGS adopted. Discussion was resumed at yesterday's meeting of the Tramw.ij of the clause in tlie report of the Wor's and Traffic Committee, relative to the enquiry made by a sub-committee ot the Board concerning the Board " wo ° , working department. The matter came up at the meeting f>£ the BoarJ 011 the 6th inst.. when there were some warm exchanges between the chairman (Mr IT. Pearce'i and Mr The discussion was postponed m order that all the members ot the 80. rd should be supplied with a copy ot t e report of the evidence t;nien b> sub-committee. At. the meeting on April <>th. tue Works and Traffic Committee reported: The committee appointed a sub-com-mittee to enquire into criticisms of the. wood-working department. Ihe ieso u tion of that sub-committee, subsequently adopted bv the main committee, was as follows: —"The committee appointed to enquire into the lay-out and operation of the car repair shop is satisfied that the charge of incompetence m eonnexion therewith is not- justified, it seems to be true that there is an insufficient supply of timber in stock suitable for the purpose of building new ears, but it finds that the Board has never authorised the purchase of the necessarv timber- The committee would suggest, 'that if the Board decides to build its new cars, a stock of timber be purchased at once to allow for seasoning." Discussion was resumed on the motion to adopt this clause. Mr D. Svkes asked if members had received a "copy of the report and evidence taken? The chairman (Mr H. Pearee) said that so far as lie knew each member had been supplied with a copy. Mr Sykes, after mentioning that lie had received no notice of the sitting of the sub-committee, and would not have known of it- but for meeting a fellow-member of the Board—Mr Walter —in the street, went on to complete the statement he started to make at the Board's previous meeting. He said that at the adjourned meeting he got an ex-employee of the Board to attend; lie was a wood-working machinist with 18 months' service; the man did not get the sack, but left of his own accord. The management did not put a single question to this man, but after he had left the room, rfsked for an adjournment, stating that the man had be very satisfactory. It was remarkable that this had not been discovered during the period the man was in the Board's employment, or while lie was under examination. At the adjourned enquiry a most despicable attempt was made to blacken the man's character.

The chairman asked Mr Sylces to keep within the rules of debate.

Mr Sykes: I think I am doing so. The chairman said that he thought lie had heard some words insinuating wrong motives. Mr Sykes said that at the enquiry not a single word had been said about the ability of the witness he called as a tradesman. He had a complete answer to those unscrupulous tacties in the shape of the reference the Board's.enr gineer had given the man when he left the Board's employ. [Mr Sykes, produced the document, which was read by each member of the Board.] Continuing, Mr Sykes said he wished he had known of this reference at the time the enquiry was held. A verbatim report of the proceedings at the enquiry had been taken for supposed record purposes, but the reports lie had received 80 far were summarised and censored. The Hon. J. Barr, M.L.C.. referring to the engineer's referenc, said that he really saw nothing in it to justify the language used by Mr Sykes. It was merely one of the ordinary printed certificate?, and stated that the man's conduct whilst in the Board's employ was satisfactory. But at. that particular time, if more employees could have been got, the man in question would not have been kept on. There was a scarcity of all classes of skilled labour at the time. In addition, the woodworking and the coach-building trades, unlike the engineering trades, were not overstocked with workmen." Consequently, at the time referred to, the Board liad to do with men who did not come up to the Board's requirements. The man referred to was a perfectly competent man in certain departments, but did not possess the allround qualifications required by the Board. He regretted that the matter of the wood-working department had been brought up. Beading through the report, he saw no justification for the criticism: it was making a mountain out of a mole-hill.* He detailed the enquiries made and the expert advice taken when the question of establishing the workshop was before the Board, and stated that had expressed the opinion that the workshops were the most up-to-date in New Zealand. He believed that it was the intention of the Board, when the workshops were decided on, that the Board should make its own cars, but after the war,' owing to the high cost of material, this could not' be done, especially as about ten electric cars were required immediately to overtake arrears. Another reason was that at that time the Board did not have the skilled men in their employ capably of doing the work. He was in favour of the Board building its own cars according to requirements, but they would have to build up a staff gradually. Mr Sykes desired to make a personal explanation in respect of the engineer's reference, but was ruled out of order. Mr E. W. White said that he had gone through the report and the evidence, and "lie could endorse what Mr Barr had said. The chairman said the sub-committee that went into the matter was nominated bv Mr Sykes, who must have had confidence in the members of the Board he nominated.

Mr Svkes: Oil, yes. The chairman said that the sub-com-mittee had gone into matters very carefully. Mr Sykes had made a remark that not one* member of the sub-com-mittee had questioned his witness. Mr Sykes: I said that the management did not ask him any questions. The chairman said that the sub-com-mittee, having gone very carefully into the matter, and in view of the evidence adduced could not have brought in any other report. The motion was agreed to. A clause in the report of the Works and Traffic Committee, submitted to vesterdav's meeting of the Board, contained the following clause, headed "Car-shed Costs": —"Becent balancesheets show that the repairs and maintance of electric cars cost 2.86 d per car mile in Auckland, 2.42 d in Wellington, and l.Old in Christchurch. Dunedin s figure is not available." Mr Svkes commented that Auckland and Wellington were hilly cities where the wear and tear on cars was greater than in Christchurch.

Mr Sykes gave notice of the following motion for nest meeting:— . the following returns bs SOB*

plied to members and the Press for publication: — "(1) The amount of capital expenditure on land, buildings, and equipment in connexion with the Board's workshop on Moorhouse avenue. "(2) The amount of annual 1 standing charges, rates, and insurance on the same. "(3) The total wages paid to employees, including clerks, also supervision, and the Board's contribution to the Superannuation Fund in connexion with these works for the year ended Marcli 31st last." .