OUR TRAMWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1240, 23 September 1911, Page 3

OUR TRAMWAYS.

.THE UNION AND THE COUNCIL', ENGINEER RISPHKS TO MIL SUTHERLAND. Replying to tlio further criticisms levelled at the City Tramways.' Departmcut by 31 r. A. Sutherlan'l (secretary of tlio Tramwaymen's Union), in .The Dominion yesterday, Mr. Stuart Richardson, City .Electrical Engineer, says:— "Sir. Sutherland evades the Mayor's point in reference to tlio application for a Dominion award. I have tho- men's demands in print, headed 'Federated Tramways Association of New Zealand Proposed Dominion Award.' It. is, therefore idlo •. to ' split straws in this way. With regard to the statement that tlio council had made up its mind how mud) it would offer (ho men, this is incorrectNo question of the detailed conditions of a local award had been considered by tho council. "Regarding.Mr. Sutherland's statement of the Tramway Committee's refusal . to resume negotiations in tho absence of tho Mayor, tlio Mayor returned from tho south on a Sunday,'personally communicated with Mr. Sutherland on tho Monday, and the conference dealing with tlio techni'<SJ points in dispute was lrald on the Tuesday night." Surely this was quick dispatch? . The Roster and tho Key. • "With regard to the roster. I rem emphatically state that the key was never given to "tho management, nor is it true that the management ha<l applied to the Karon service or any othej' part of tho service any suggestions taken from .the unions roster. "It is not correct'that employees giving evidence on behalf of tho union have been victimised by tho Department. Rates of Pay. "In addition to the increase, to motormen, 107 conductors -were Taised from llld. to Is. per hour. Car-equipment ad-justers,'power-house leading iiremen, fitters, turners, strikers, pitmen, pointsmen, and trackmen also received increases. Mr. Sutherland's statements are cerfeuilly queer. With regard to 'Mr. Sutherland's statements in The Dominion about unnecessary spccial cars on Brooklyn, nil I can say is they are at variance with tho strongly-expressed views of tho Brooklyn Ratepayers' Association.. "Referring to tho -statement about wages, tho following particulars, taken from to-day's pay-sheet, show that for tho fortnight "Two motormen will receiva over J!Bj seven motormen will receive between £7 10s. and dCSj twenty-four motormen will receive between' £7 and ,£7 10s.; thirtythree motormen wilj receive between jIG 10s., and .£7; ono conductor will receivo over 10s.; three conductors will receivo between £7 and £7 10s. j sixteen conductors will receive between «£G 10s. and j £7; and 41 conductors will receive between .£6 and £0 10s.

Speed on Karori Line.' "With regard to tho speed of cars on the Karori line, Mr. Sutherland's statement that three minutes is allowed between the Ka.rori Council Cluvmbers and tho clock at Johnson Street, which he states to be a distance of 72 chains, is totally incorrect. Tho time allowed is five minutes, and t'ho distanco is 53 chains, instead of three minutes and 72 chains. As showing tho inaccuracy of Mr. Sutherland's further remarks on the excessive speed of cars on the Karori line, duo to the .time-table, it may be pointed out that tho Karori cars running from Karori to tho city usually arrive at* Mulgravo Street at least two minutes ah sad of timo throughout the day, and at certain times of tho day tho Karori cars reach Newtown 9 and 10 minutes before tho timo of departure. This can bo shown by tho, records."