STATE WORKSHOPS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 January 1909, Page 5

STATE WORKSHOPS.

_ , _ *X MR.'RONAYNE'S" LETTER. A PUBLIC INQUIRY DEMANDED. 1 " THE ADDINGTON PLANT. tnr TBtEonirn—rasas association.) Cnrlstchurch, January 22. Tho indignation amongst tho men at Addington in regard tq'fllr. Ronayno's inipeach- ' ment has not subsided much. _ Tho men still meet in their own tinio and discuss tho subject, and express freo opinions on'tho claim of tho unknown "export" to bo a judgo. They say that they will not bo satisfied ■ until-there is an inquiry, and they demand, above all, that the inquiry should be open to tho publio and tho press. They do not like tho idea of an official inquiry at all. From thoir point of viow, they say, it will be worse than useless. Some of tb_em havo

i iiilnid,!-experience.of .official, inquiries ...before,' '■.-■'■ and .they did. not- like them... They do- not 'si •'-feel; atj.home. there for one. thing; ;and' there .. .i ; is', ah' Opinion that, although they 'are given " : ,.ifair. treatment, ;they.'can hardly.;put. their i.icase strongly, enough when there is too much .:. : : formality.,, Some, of tho men state that the .':,.. .departments specially selected; by .Mr.-. RonV.,, : Byne ; f6r his attack'are amongst the. Btrong : i points,of the; than,ordin- ■'• ar y. ■ pride,'. for.. instance/, has boon. taken .in : v-^jtiw,production of "A"icars; i The whole carw shod,'." indeed, itSis stated, has., done excop- .;.; ..tibnallyigood. work.,; It- is .admitted that at ,;.-' times;thorei-is .'a..;tendency to : rush work, _■ ;■ through. In;' the'.past,■ at. any rate,. thero ji; 'were'times/when the, men would bo hurried i•'r' on':.with the. Ayork oh .the cars with, a' view to i,V,getting:them."out of the yards, in such,good ,'.'-timevthat. : somo-credit could be claimed for ;■:.''. expedition,, but it: is believed that the quality ■•"-.-; ,of the.work, in■-these_.cas.es has not.suffered '..'i to "any,' appreciable eiterit.." There .is an. ex- ' ■ pressioti .; of incredulity.. in ■ regard : to. the ;]; (statement that tho. work,at Addington costs '"'■':':. '.more.:tbah'the"'work at Pe.tone and other. Go-':

'.;.;; vernment establishments.; It is only.Depart,V mental; officers : who have, sufficient data' to ;!.; ; ; inake an - authoritative : statement in that. di- '.; rectioh,■ but "it- is believed, that that;allega- :; .tipn'j'.'liko' other's '■ in-. Mr. •Rphayho's letter,-.';■;-cannot; be., substantiated,;;;;.;;'. ; .■;•■: ~ "'.; ;'... ;,; I% good : deal:of blamoon the: plant. They say ;;.:'.that'it,is riot : up:to date, that"it'needs oyer- ;." hauling, and;that many, new,machines should '<'■ be introduced to keep pace with : the progress ...ih' private:workshops.':. They 'state that.it is ':';'quiteiimpossible;to:compete,with other estab:■'■'lishmehts iiiregar'd r to dispatch,quality, and : : ;: cheapness under.present circumstances..;. ; : ; ;' WHY;;WAS THE LETTER; WRITTEN? ; ;%;;'; ;-;«LIFE;NOT LIVING." X" ; j ' ;..; - {BX TELECRArn^-Sl-'r.CI.'iI.'ioKUESPOI'nENT.) ;?.' ;i : V- \" - ; ':•''' ;- Christohuroh, January 22; '■."': '.Thero ; is much comment both! in, .tho Ad- ;'' flirigtoh.workshop's:and in-the city as to the .y I ;'real.- origin of Mr. .Rpnayrie's'letter.'' Surs i prise, is ■' expressed;on : .all: sides that it should v-V : ; havo'-.-heeh; written;.','Jii; the.; first': place ; the ;;,; general'manager, is'usual]y„:very.tactM, and -V -very;';guarded- in;.his' ;stat : -does .;'.'.. ribfc.'.'make:.wild; allegations, even;if;ha; has -".gpb'd'vgrounds toVgo/jipon. ■.'-. In' those cir- • Yciimstances, V remarks -.the,;.:'-Times,'', some .:■'.-" pebble' make' conjectures, as -to. why; the letter '-.;'. was ■ It<is;,froely. stated -in the city. ~V.that:''therb'is:,more.behind'tthe "affair'' than ,; '■' appears; on. the ..surfaced ••.'• Opinions; are ex-;-X"pressc'd; that;the 'letter'is. part of ;a scheme '-;: which : -mayi lead-jto very;sweeping: reforms? in '::/all'ftilway^workshops;;r':n;S:\J' is': >'" f ';:v.:;;A;.'cbrrespondent,- signing: himself -".Work-;;,.'€rt';-declares; that .the : charges: made-against; :, workmen'.in ■ the ') boiler- .'shops i are '■■. absolutely : vbaseless;:'''"-There,are,no men inthe. Gbvern- :: meht.employ;. or.';;in'?;any, private shop," who ;n'.''haye;td»Work;'hdr;der'Hthan;i''.thßy;do,. Their '; .lifefis hot- wo.rth^liyingv^'.C'They.are-driven ■j:u by 'ther- the whistle ~'/ .blows .in v 'the;'morning' v till*itnbloWs.at night, were,a'lbt of China-, :;: ; men.,'i'ln-.fact/it;.was;only'aco :;,;:' ago\that : "iho - men: w-ere ,cbnsideTingvthe.'ad,:7:i•vis'ableri'essvof^r6^,stmg^,agaillst'the nigierV' drlyirig ; thatithey.were'subjepted'to,' and' I ??. y r ain "of .opinion;'thatt.there'-,is. no;shop in,the '"'V/'Dpmimoni'that'cbtf ?';..cheaper than : it is ''turned '.out-'at Acldington. '■■''• JVit& regard to.theVsmith's shop, th'e -foreman :;,;, js in/'erery respect,- arid;trea- '■ 1 ;. his^rderi. as .men should i.b'e!' treated; but, at k.;•;.'the'i;S i ame;. J lets.(them'un'd'erstand that .'. 'he'-.hiust'ha'vo a..fair; r day's work,, and'he ■; gets; it.vLHo',has no.mercy;on'the man' tbat ■ : yiSi Hry^to'shirk- his "work.'^v,'i •; ' ■'■ : ' ; -'

Vr ;.i<LACK OF'SYSTIirRATHER THAN '/ cFEaSLLNG-V'■ ! ;- : ".';, ;/- [V:' ;tBT TSLtQBiPH-.SPECIit. fiDBKISroNDBNT.) ' .' ■'). V'V' ';'/ : J ■■ ;Chrlstchuroh,' January 22,;' A : young man who. has. spent more than a year, working in; the Addington.fitting shop, andwho,appears to have made a close study .;■;. of the men there and,the methods employed, .., told';,a-. "Times"- reporter '.that,, there. was '"< a food- deal in Mr. Ronayne's complaint., He acl.no doubt that" more, work ;oould ,be got ;]out: : 'ofvthe;men,: or^at-any .rate' out of ; some ,:; \lt v wasv.not:'plehsihg.,to any .'man .'-.taking ani-'interest'.,in; /polities./or' ' : .Socialism; to''note '-how;,things '■; were .going.' ; : ; There'were,,however,; manyinchin 'the'shops' ; ■> who; did/an 'honest (day's work..-.- There were '~ Bome'men ;.there lyho/had influence, 'and' who : ';'; perhaps ''traded Political., influence would: appear/to. have'a : 'good deal; to do with .' .6ome; men;'getting'./bdlets/i'andstill. ; more to :•'.■'. do their': holding .'them.;-' Slackness was ' :^g6flefal^!r ; H6;.b6nsiderrf4t..''dne';'i6'';-:lack- of --..-. system .rather';than■; to. : any"; "tired feeling)'' ;;; Thoi'lrushes'' ahdthe' slack periods were; too marked.'.-The'.:most; notable' "rushes" 'were ;/those/ at .Oh'ristmaSf.'when-it vwas," necessary 'M. to.''get stock. ;ready,,- and .'those at the end of '.the fmanoial year when it. was advisable. ...;Thq. r Government.controlled hoth supply-and : ', demand,, and ■it. should', be possible for 'tho ■ 'traffib;-department:..to'.. 1 so; .arrange'..things . that/work; should? be at least fairly;, steady all .the year round.'.-/ If "an inquiry, were held .successfully :.he feared that tho finding would j bev.very 'disappointing.to' many; people.'. The , : . ; Government • works; if; only on account of ; their, liberal superannuation'scheme, :'.attract,.thevbestVand.the hardest' workers. ' He'was. very definite in his: statement as to ';,there : being muoh:obsolete.iplant cumbering' ;.'• the.floor space. Ho spoke very.bitterly con- '■'../ cermng, the',cranes.-' "The:;. cranes," he said, /'//'. they.are deadly. Bight'.men;sweating their -.\ Bouls~ont biting: a:.locomotive.•': : pathetically ./ /slowly;. Two electric cranes .'with an :atten- - riant apiece could/handle the .same", load mora ;,'quickly "and_ more, safely., :So far there has, .;.:. been-up accident,;but One always seems pos- :•;•':■ sible;; ;.In- the; -boiler -shop, -where they are * .'.worked by chains from the floor this -trouble 1 ; js'-also much' iri-'evidenco."'.'; v •

riA'FAVOURABLE: OPINION.; :; ;(BY.'TELEO!tAI'II-I'|!KS.«. : 'ASSpCIATrOS-.j.•'.• ;■-;'-V;''- "■'.■ j, -January 22.- :■• 'Mr,, W. -• A. /'president: of/Jho 1 Amalgamated Railway.Servants' -Association,,- in'-. terviewcd, in regard- to;the' trouble at. Addingtoh, said that 'after twenty .years' service in the Railway Department, he/could honestly say-that -the' class:- of : locomotive turned ; out by the New Zealand Railway Workshops- was superior, both for efficiencyand workmanship, to./imported . engines.' .'.As' to; tho proposed: inquiry,; -Mr.' Veitoh- ; said_if. its -scope, were ohly'wide .enough, and if it were made independently, r bein.*/conducted. < by gentlemen -outsidp.:;the -Railway,' Department' instead of by/Departmental the meii.■:' would have,' nothing -to fear.;:-/ ■-:. ;. ■■"'.;'/'■ Referring td'.thoi. "Gpverhmeht'. stroke," Mr./iVeiton stated - as; ; , a.; curious fact' that everywhere throughout'the Dominion ho came across;cx-cmplpyeesyof, the; Railway Depart-, rhent, whose services: had bderi eagerly: sought by/private employer's because of the. strenuous way:they, went .about-their/work., :"' In 'conclusion, Mr. •Veitch said the -Amalgamated' /Society• had/ample funds available tor-.tbq defence: of'its members... .y^;^ ; a-;/ ; ;/;- : 7HE INQUIRY.. \ ,';;,/(BY TEtEGRAPII—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)' .''^•' ": ' ; -:, : Cfirlstohurcri, ■ January. 22. ; -,•';■ No' information- has.- bdbn received , - iii Christchurch 'yet. 1 in .ragard'to/the inguiry demanded by -;thc m.en ; at' tho . Addington workshops : iiito the- impeachment made- by ,'ilr;: ; Rpiiavue.;/ ; : '.:--:'-: '