TROUBLE AT PETONE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 451, 9 March 1909, Page 5

TROUBLE AT PETONE.

THE RAILWAY WORKSHOPS. OLD AND NEW EMPLOYEES. "WE WANT FAIR PLAY ALL ROUND." At the time of tho taking .over of tho Manawatu Company's lino and staff, tho Minister for Railways (the Hon. J. A. Millar) expressed the hope that in a vory littlo while there would be no distinction between tho old Government men'and the former employees of tho company. To a certain extent tho Minister's wish has boon fulfilled, for tho chango involved practically no friction in tho clerical, departments. Some trouble, however, has arisen in tho Pctono Railway Workshops as tho result of, tho introduction of tho now men. It is not a personal matter at all. The two staffs have mingled and work together quite amicably, but some of the newcomers have been put into senior positions, which the older servants had been led to expect/and which they allege are rightly theirs. At a rneoting in tho workshops three or four weeks ago, the men discussed their grievance, and tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants took the matter up on their behalf, and put the complaint bofore the (Minister. A promise was given that justice would bo done, but the mon have heard,nothing since, and things remain as they wero. Yesterday, during their luncheon hour,-the mon again considered the position at 'a meeting held in the smiths , 'shop! ■■■.-.■.,•■ ■ A chairman was appointed, and an employee, who considered himself wronged, stated that ho had-had no reply to his protest. . .

The chairman then intimated that the busi-, noss of tho meeting wa3 to ascertain the cause of the delay. Thoy should decide what stops it would be best to take. Get up a round-robin," suggested one. A motion was put forward that a representative from each department should be .appointed, with power to act, as a deputation to wait upon the Minister and ascertain what was to be done. ■ ' . • . "I. think it would be better," said a worker, "if we gave tho Minister an opportunity of doing something. .It would hardly be the thing to set up a committee seeing that the A.S.R.S..has already taken action."-. Tho Chairman: "I take it that .this will go a long way towards' strengthening their hand. Ido not think it.is the intention of tho employees to force- the matter one- way or the other; we.just want,to see that justice is brought about. Wo want to see fair play all round, otherwise I am out of it." The previous speaker still held to the opinion that no further representation should bb made yet by the employees, but another worker urged that tho A.S.R.S. had not fully expounded the facts of the case to the Minister. It was just possible, ho said, that by the time tho D 3 was mado out thoy. would be too late. They all wished to see the present position of unrest ended. Another employeo stated that thoy considered they had a solid grievance. The resolution was unanimously adopted. It was further agreed that'any expenses incurred by the deputation should be defrayed by subscription of the whole of the workshops Wen,, ; ■