RAILWAYMEN'S CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 6

RAILWAYMEN'S CONFERENCE

v:-The 1 Society:; of .Eailway^;.Servants -continued its sitting.' yesterday/ when' - the, following business was X.-'

» 'That, the system of punishment by marks'" be ' substituted for ■ the , present system.''/, At. presentthe.:''system- of ■punishment, by ~fine :is. assuming,, very . serious For . the'iyear,ending" Ma'rch :'3l; 1909,; according' to' the 'statement -.of ...the • annual. balance-sheet ] of,', the superannuation' fuiid, tho" fines amounted to;: X 298 15s. - A {long / and -varied' discussioni: embra'cihg'-,:manj r ':;; ; phases:' .of: ■ the. system: of the administration . of punishment by the - Department, -* took' ; place.Numerous ,cas& were quoted showing/ the .'iesistingv ; ini\-; aSmi™sterihg punishment- by-.-.way: of "fines.-,The.''con-ierenca^as.'strdnglyibf.ithet-opinion' that the. time had ■ arrived ; for some':improve-, iment,' aid' was'.convinced .that while. there" were, ample means of infHcting/punish-, meht, there,were,very, feiymeans .whereby, merifbers could "earn >■/ commendation ;■ by, their; good - conduct, -system.'-. of nlsbment/byr. marks -gave: that .oppo'r^ v ■ ■// '. -:/ •: -The''conference/proceeded r.t0.l consider, .the applications-f or. tho 'position:; of ■ editor - of: .the ■ Review? for; the, ensuing, two years. Twenty-one applications were received, 'which- were ..finally . reduced to four,-' and, as a result of the final ballot, Mr: ' C.'- 'E. Wheeler, : the present' editor, , was re-elected. ■

■/'jt!.-"T^ : i.d^d^.^tq-^diMniß;..'.with: ; -'.fli« Minister' //the present,/ unsatisfactorymethods adopted by/the:/Departmerit in recog-aising l ' . the : va.lue : ;of inventions; by members.-'; 'Instances'(were :-qiioted L :jrhere rnemliers hadlto 'wait ,for'indefinite periods: 'ljefore receiving any reply, after the plans inventions were sent in, ; and such , plans;; had;, to'i.invariably ~pasS; through: the. hands of j five/or 'six..heads of •iment%VwMch''w'i-r«dnddei^-';\,i^;-viin--satisfactory,' also. that in many instances where valuable suggestions had been, made and"{adopted'by'the Department,."Very.. ; tardy;reco'gnition'^ad;ilKin,Biyenji-7f7.' 1 ;: ■ .The':'{system/-:-. of temporary created- a long,: discussion;.' Altbough'-dlie'; Minjster had "previously " promised- the 'executive'- that lodging "would ibo paid'.for the'first six weeks in cases. ;of temporary transfer, andj if a member was not-again transferred until .after-the, 'expiration: of six weeks,, the membcr.ro--/ceived./nothing,/ he'/ had/'now •' repudiated {this • arrangement.' Instances .- were; -quoted; where, members, had been transferred at intervals of less/than/six weeks and received no'lodging allowances. 1 This process was. 'considered; y very';hard';. on . -single meh, : who,;'; owing 'to' : the/nature of : their.; transfers, were compelled to.jiay .a retain-;, i ngft feo'r- to f hold ...their-,'rooms ■ in I their •qdging-plaoe:-.at'- ;.or .-be •forced to look- for'fresh lodgings on-their, .return. . -It was , unanimously resolved that in all cases 'of ; temporary . transfers lodging allowance be .paid for the 1 , first three months. •' It/was .unanimously resolved-'to"-;again; request- the Minister to errant full civil ana political -rights to all railway men, and that all.' men/brought, on duty' be' paid for riot less than,, four/hours.. .In-., stances, innumerable.- were quoted.' where men are booked ,-on for periods of an hour's duration'.' " Also, 1 that ivhere' work . was.- continuous, shunters .' and signalmen not to be called- .upon-. to:..work -more than ten hours in any one day. -