ANGRY CONDUCTORS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1317, 21 December 1911, Page 6

ANGRY CONDUCTORS.

AN ACCUSATION RESENTED. INDIGNATION MEETING. The Wellington tramway employees are in a ferment of indignation, and it is even- possible that Wellington citizens may. shortly be compelled to t-ilce (u walking for other reasons than the promotion of health. Tlu< c-.uw ul tin* trouble H the following statement <".»'.ii»iued in the report of Mr. S. llichard>on (city traniwevr; engineer) to the L'itv Council, upon the demand of the Tramways Union far the transfer of hi-peetor I'uller:— .

"From evidence received from various sources, 1 regret to soy that there is undoubtedly a considerable amount, of malriry'.i?! l with regard to ticket sales, at present carried on by nortain conductors, who manage so that, the irregularity is most difficult of detection." These remarks are bitterly resented by the tramwaymen as an unjustifiable aspersion upon their honesty, and at the momoul, it is difficult lo say. what the outcome will be. Last evening about 150 tramway employees held what can oulv bu described us an indignation meeting at the Newtown shed.-. 'Pie proceedings were private, but. an account of what happened was obtained afterwards trom o ic of those who attended.' One proposal advanced was that th" union should demand tho withdrawal of the obnoxious statement, with the alternative c. • oral cessation of won; in orretusaj. A long and heated ' discussion billowed, but the proposal was eventually '.'wH;, The decision finally come to was tn.it a deputation from the union .should wait upon Jlr. Iticl.srdson his afternoon, and ask him to withdraw 1,,^ ftatpm {' nli . 1 J l ij matter, of taking action in ho reVysc was left open for tut lire coiisideiation.' A meeting uf night-shitt: men is to be held this morning. From the talk ot a number of trama - men who wero-spokon to Inst- exiling, it irf evident that'they are determined to resist the imputation ot .dishonostj with which they consider that they have been saddled bv Mr.. Hichardspu. • Motormen, who were formerly conductors, am as quick to express indignation as the conductors themselves. • . •So far-as can be gathered, only a f>cc-. tion of tho men are inclined- to taU- extreme measures. I hose who . talk ol "coming out"' placo their reliance in the Tramways Act" of 1910, which contains provisions that they consider would fectuallv prevent a municipality, gettins volunteer motormen to ■ drive■ its cais it the regular employees shoud de.sci t then duties. It will bo remembered that the clauses relating to the licensing of motormen were strenuously resisted at the time of their passage, on the ground that they, would disable tramway authorities in the event of a strike. T Section 2, Sub-section 1. of the Tianiwavs Amendment Act. 1910, reads: "On and after the first day of .Tanuar>. 191° every person employed ns the on any tramway of any carriase or other rellin<r-stock of which electricity is the motive power, shall be the holder of an electric-tram driver's certificate issued by the Board of Examiners appointed under tb» Inspection of Machinery Act. 1908. The Act further provides that the Minuter may add one or more members to tho lK>a.rd as at. prefent constituted, one of the new members to be an electrical engineer. Iho board is empowered to _graut a certificate to any person, or good rcmitc who' not later than December 24. 1911, produces satisfactory evidence showingthat for a Dcriod.of not less than one venr at- anv'time before !':« nas'ing of the Act (oil December 3, 1910). lie was p'mploved as a motorman or was the holder of a motorman'.s license eranted under the by-law- of ,e local authority, and has not subsequently been dismissed for mi scon duct. With this exception, all certificates are !o. be granted after examination liy the board. The general grievance of the tramwaymen lias somewhat overshadowed the question as to whether Inspector Fuller should be transferred'or not. An official of the union soolcen to last, evening prior to the meeting at Newtown, adopted tho the view that the council had acceded to the demand of the union, and that nothing inbre need lie done in tho matter meantime. This view was also adopted at the meeting. As. reported yesterday Councillor Shirtelift'e has given notice of his intotio" «« move that the resolution'of ■ the City Council Unit Inspector Puller bo transferred to another position,' be' rc-ciiidcd.-Councillors Cohen arid Frost, neither of whom was present to v ote when the matter was before the council, both stated, when f|ue."-Hoj>ed yesterday, that they would vote against rescinding the resolution.