CHARGES OF RAGGING

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 32, 1 November 1907, Page 8

CHARGES OF RAGGING

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. LIFE IN RAILAVAY CLEANING SHEDS. THE "15UCKGREASERS : UNION" AND ITS . CEREMONIES. • ; ' [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Chrlstcrtiirch, Octobor 31.. The Commission of Inquiry into flio: charges of "ragging™ ■ in the local railway service opened before Mr. H. AV. Bishop, S.M!; in the guards' roorii at the railway station this morning.' Tho Commissioner read the letter from tho Minister appointing him to investigate a complaint which had been laid by Arthur Bray that he had been interfered , with in his duties; Mr. Bishop was empowered, under Section 64 of tho Gov-ernment-Railways Act, to enquire into the complaints. Mr., J.: D. Hall (in place if •Mr. Stringer, K.G:, who was engaged at tho Supremo Court) appeared on behalf' of ohe Railway • Department.' ' '','-,./."." , ' - ; BRAY'S COMPLAINTS. Alexander Mackenzie, running. shed foreman, stated that he had charge of all the cleaners in the yard. Bray arrived on transfer from Timaru on September 26. Tho first witness heard of Bray's complaint was en the morning of October 22,.' when tho night foreman reported that Bray had left after doing .4^,hours, without giving any reason. On bnquiry, the night foreman told him that Bray's reason 'for'leaving was that ho had been, "slurried" '(dirty waste saturated with grease being used as a missile and ballad "slurry"). ■ AVitness instructed the, night foreman and Bray to put in" roports on the matter. The following was. the text of Bray's report, of the first occasion on which ho was interfered , with: — ;■■■.■■■; ~..,. '.-,.. '• ■■ ' "Mr. Mackenzie, Dear Sir.— '■■' "After starting work last' Monday' night, besides being bullied by the cleaner whom you aftorwards told me was put over mo to protect, while- under one engine, about 1 a.m;, I :was" v st'ruck in :the'eye... After getting over the effects.of the blow I oame from under.the engine. My so-called protector r said, 'I'm your boss.. You've got to, do as I tell you. Now.go' under the; c'rigirio and finish it.' i refused to do so'till I had seen the foreman. I spent half-an-hour,in trying-to find, him, and failing todo so I went home. For this protector to deny I was struck is an out-and-out liar."—Yours, faithfully, (signed) Arthur Bray./ ■■:'■.■:, •; '■■' :■•.-...'•' ■■•'■■.■■•'■.,..• , Bray's report of the second occasion upon, which ho, was "slurried' , was read as follows:—■ ' , -. ; , . ■■ .■'■"; , ; , "Mr. Mackenzie, Dear: Sir'.— "i'ou will remember last.Tuosday night having myself. and the ' cleaner in whose charge I...was put in ..ypiir office, and the statemont he. made,-about, mo asking him if there was any chance .for,, mo to have a doss; that I said I would put in my eight hours and do no more than I could help. He. also said that the little I did had to bo gone over again. Although I told you what did happen you appeared to boliove this man's (?) story, and.in consequonco told me that "I was not fitted for ( tho,work, and tho wort was not'fitted'for me, and it seemed a-; very .remarkable'thing''tliat I should be slurried. It goes without any saying that what took place in/'the office was repeated in the sheds, a's ; my, boss spent.the first part 'of the night smoking"and talking with his mates, who.all scorned; eagor to know what ''Mack',had said. At 5 a.m. my protector practically'deserted mo for over an hour, as I only saw'him at intervals during thattime. At 6.15 a.m. he told me I had better get washed and go home. AVhen I wont to my: locker the cleaners, started 'to > slurry mn; and kept it up all the time I was taking off my overalls and washing. Finally, as I'was leaving the shed, I was pelted with cohl, damaging my clothes and laming my right hand and leg. It is difficult' to spot the actual offender, especially 'as they are all strangers,to me,, but one I can swear to as he is so unlike-the rest, and I caught him in the act. He .'is known iri the sheds as 'the Doctor.' "AVhpn I showed myself to the ; night foreman;! asked him if I .looked, as if I had been .slurried now. He replied, 'You ought to ; know. , ■■'-I'do riot'complain of ,tho severity .of the ragging lam undergoing now, but I do not see why I should put up with any. My bike was interfered with.also. To say the least it is a farce to.put me in charge of one of the'mob.: Even if. ho.'were decent he dare not oxpose any. one of them for fear of being, in the- same boat as I am at the present time."—Yours faithfully (signed) Arthur' Bray. 25.October; ,1907. .; - : . -

;; PROMISCUOUS "SLURRYING." In'■•■ reply ' to the Cpmmission, Mackenzie said ; that i'' slurrying." was done in : the 'sheds, but ; the. ■, cleaners did not allow themselves: to be. ; caught ..at it. It was done promiscuously,,, They knew what the result would be- if they wore caught. It was a affecting the discipline of the sheds,.and.-th'e'cieanors,'hail been frequently warned about it. Witness had been in the service about fifty-two years, and had worked up from the bottom'-of thp ladder, having been, a cleaner. ...When he started there were only a few cleaners, and lie had seen no "ragging." Ho had boon running foreman for twenty-seven years, and,..'frequent'• complaints had boon made of "ragging," but'he had been unable to sheet it home. During the past three yoars_ only three or four complains had.boen made- of '-ragging," and as many "as twenty, clr'aners' had been fined for refusing to givp evidence.. .The victims in the cases reported, were, invariably lads who were rather '"soft" looking.,, ,Ho did not know personally if thore was ; any undue bullying of newcomers in the cleaning sheds, and ho knew of no case whoro it hhd gone beyond horsep'ay. Every.reasonable effort had been mado to investigate complajnte of "ragging." M'Neisli was a very decent young fellow, attontive to his work, and ugainst whom no complaints had boon mado. .. "CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE." ' He thought. that thero existed i. conspiracy of '.silence amongst the cleaners regarding "ragging" cases. If a cleaner had been "slurried," lie would sliov decided ic'.ications of it. There was no reason to believe that M'Noish had noglected his duties, as alleged by Bray. : ' " ' ' ' BRAY'S EVIDENCFj.'Arthur Bray gavo evidence detailing the 'occasions on whioh ho had been, "slurried." In reply to tho Commissioner, ho said that the reason for his treatment appeared to bo that all the cleaners had him set. fie was told that ..-all.....newcomers recoived similar troatmont.. He had been "barracked"' by tho cloanors, as well as "slurried."' Ho gavo examples of some of tho "language" used towards himl Onb man had used similar language to him. Ho was tho only one witness could name. He left work on the Friday be-

causo ho had influenza, and would have returned to work on October 30 hut for the present inquiry. Ho could suggest no method of prevonting "ragging." • THE " BUCK-GREASERS." Witncs9 was questioned at somo longth on the alleged oxistenco of a union caller] the "Buck-greasers" amongst tho cleaners. Ho stated that ho was told that tho newcomer was inado to take an onth not to toll on his follows. He was asked at Timaru to-take this oath, but refused, and was noto asked at Christcliurch to do so. Ho believed the "union" existed hero. Tho porson to.be initiated had to go on his knees and say soniothing after somcono olso, and swear not to toll against, ono's follows. Then oil was poured over tho porson boing initiated. Another description of tho ceremonies was of a disgusting nature. Ho tad not been initiated, though an attempt was made to do so. Ho struggled and got away. Tho cleaners told him that if ho allowed himself to bo initiated the cleaners would bo good friends with him afterwards. CLEANERS' STATEMENTS. Herbert John Charles Williams stated,that ho had been a cleaner for eighteen months. AVitness did nqt sco . "slurries" thrown at Bray on the AVednesday, nor did ho see a sack put over him tho next day. AVitness was placed in charge of Bray to instruct him. Towards knock-off time tho following morning witness nsiced Bray if lie had been interfered with, and he replied in tho negative Ton minutes' later ho hoard Bray tell the night foreman that ho had beon knocked about, alleging that it had occurred half an hour before. AVhen witness heard Bray make this statement he felt wild. AVitness had made a report on Bray's work, in which ho stated that he did not seem anxious to learn, would riot lot anyone show him tho work, and would not answer when spoken to. Robert Edgar M'Noish, cleaner, stated that on October 21 Bray was placed in his charge. Bray had not worked up to tho standard, and witness,- roported accordingly to tho night foreman. Witness did not see anyone , interfere with Bray during the time ho'was'at work. Ho donied that lio had neglected his duty, as allogod in Bray's report, and was not smoking and talking to the other cleaners. He did not know if Bray had been "slurried." Witness was, at his own request, relieved of the duty of instructing Bray.. He had scon-'no interference with young hands, Thero was a certain amount of "slurrying," but it was takon in good part. The cleaners had not talked about making it warm for Gray. Nowcomors were made to carry tho king bolt spanner about, sing a song, of ','sweeten" the top of a.cab. '"THE NIGHT FOREMAN'S EVIDENCE. John Henry Graham, tho night foreman, said he saw nothing; of the alleged "slurrying." The practices now in vogue in the sheds wero hothng compared to those in vogue whon he jrinod. He did not know of the existence of the " Buck-greasers Union." The opinion he hud 1 formed of Bray was that .ho was r vofy slow, s.nd did riot put any energy into his work, iio did. not think that Bray's experiences in limaru had affected tho treats mont accorded >o him in Christehurch. If there was an additional foreman orio could bo in the shed continuously about, and the cleaners would not. know where ho was. PROBABLE NATURE OF THE REPORT. Tho Commissioner said ho desired to obtain suggestions as to possiblo improvements. The way the ovidenco had been going indicated tliat tho J conclusions ho would probably report to tho Minister would be of, a negativo charaetbr. ' ■'•■.- - ■■ Mr. Hnll said that tho Departmental view was that) in the circumstances, one additional foreman would bo of littlo use. ~ . Tho inquiry was . then ■ adjourned till tomorrow. - ■ • ■ . ■■.-•■