TRAMWAYMEN STATE CASE

Chronicle (Levin), 14 May 1947, Page 6

TRAMWAYMEN STATE CASE

■Press Association

■ ■' »» i • , , RACING SHOULD BE EXPEDITED

Bv Telearavh—

CHRISTCHURCH, May 13, The Royal Commission' on Gaming and Racing fimshed its sitting in Christchurch this afternoon. The Commission opened in Christchurch on May 1 and it will resume the hearing of evidence and sub'missions at Dunedin on Monday. - Later the Commission will travel to Invercargill and final submissions will be heard in Wellington. , Workers' representatives " gave theiT views on racing * afld other1' forms of •gambling this morning. ' ' While not opposed to. the granting of extrg permits, as has been. advocated by the racing clubs, if the interests of tramway employees are safegUarded, we strenuously object to the. granting of extra ipermits under present conditions, ' ' I said Norman- Reginald Forbes, on behalf of the Christchurch. Tramway Employee's- Union, The views of railwaymen were, he said, similar. Tliose , responsible for taking crowds to and from' race meetings — tramwaymen and other transport workers— were the backbone of racing, Mr Forbes claimed. On a race day a majority of the workers whose duties started at 6 a.m. did not sigii off until 6 p.m. Some had a break of one or two hours, but it was not uncommon for them to work the whole 12 hours without a break. This, he considered, was too long for men to work at one stretch. It deprived them of social pleasures. Under the present system, a programme commenced at 10.45 a.m. and with 45 minutes .between each race the last race was scheduled to start about 3.55 p.m. If intervals between the races were reduced by five minutes this would pave 35 minutes, and enable tramway work ers to finish work about 5.25 p.m. New Zealand wp,s, furthermore, the only country he knew'of where there were eight races on a day's programme. In other coun^fies there were programmes qf seven races. The adoption of a programme of seven races in New Zealand would not have any adverse effect on tlie sport, and would do mucli to alleviate the hardships of tramwaymen. In answer to Mr. A. T. Donnelly, Mr. Forbes agreed • that the Canterbury Jockey Club had heard a deputat.ion from the . tramyvaymen sympathetically and had shown members of the deputation the difficulties in the way of further reducing the' interval Tetween races, but he thought that it could be done by educating theo public to place their bets more' promptly. After fntending punters had been shut out a few times, they would mdke up their minds more promptly. Witness agreed with Mr. C. S. Thomas that the clubs had.. shown consideration towards the tramwaymen in advancing the* time of the iirst race from 12.30 p.tn. to . 10.45 a.m. The union had asked for the last race to start at 4 p.nn, and he agreed tliat clubs now started earlier than liad been asked. - ?