AT KETONE WORKSHOPS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1661, 30 January 1913, Page 5

AT KETONE WORKSHOPS.

'.-■ rf;oi'[ DECISION' MODIFIED. • ,• ~.A.; report, recently'circulated in Petone,;- ■■'■ to: the effect that, thirty-one. men,were'to '-. be idisnrissed' from the railway workshops, turns Out- to have' been 'well lounded,. thotigh 'the has since, imodihed its intention.' liit'orviewed yesterday : the General Manager Of Railways (Mr. V. 7 ItOnayne) tnado the following statement ■year, and,the question arose as. to whether , "sumcient' work 'to "enable''us' to f -employ.the'-nien'''fb''advantage. , Be-. ',■■'■ fOfS,tne" "en'd''Of 'the,, y'bar !'I directed' tho; ,'Chief Manager' to make, inquiries,' .as • to, what - additional tolling-stock, would. .:, txß'.fcquirSil for the North'lslnnd.".'. That ■■ information", is' npt'yet .coniplete,, and ' L .-'con'sider;;that it."will' be feasible to. issue' additibnW.orders,,}vhich wouUl'render,'.tin?'' ."■ necessary "the: lnrgV ..reductions'i-,yin.,.'-the, •:'■; nuhibe'r'.of:'hands' which,'!.'.lycrb' cotitehv-,, f :plated,'. r ;,,ThirtyKine,.meh.'-received, notico; 'that'their .services woiild.hot' bb required 'i.'after.: Saturday/next.. .1 had been'.absent -': from' the' office, for a few ..days, and on, my ;... return: my at ton tiori was directed' to that ;". fact.■■..■■ I,.directed.'fhb .Chief' Mechanical .: Engineer 'to', proceed; to Pctpne,' and-go .'; iiitd'thb,question in detail with the Loco- ' .. : mbtiv'o.Engii\ee'r.,- '.The, result was that, i ; : instead.' of. thirty-one, men being paid off ,1 ■'~ noxtSatdrday,; only ; .eleven-will be paid I '; off.';.: The eleven : men ,'canhbt usefully : bo employed 1 any. longer. The rush of con- J ~ Btru'ction,''.'.he;added, V-.'has.been .very.■ . achte.aiid the men have" done excellent ~ work-in building the extra cars 1 required ;■''for; the express; service..'!: Further additional, cars will be required in.connection with'the Auckland Exhibition, and it is proposed to put the work of construction in' hand at both Auckland and Pctone, 60 as 'to ensure the cars'being'ready in, ,time. -These, with orders:for additional wagons and rolling-Stock' generally, will, ',■ .itvis,considered, give ample employment .-,for;at least,a year ahead."..:' Questioned as to the position, at the , , other .railway workshops of the Dominion,Mr/Eonnyne said that all were fully ." supplied with work, and that, no reduc- • tion;, in' the number bf men to which - they ; gavbJcmployment was . contemplated . at fli - I.*ehti"".-:'.:"-.-''."' : .;' : !.':.- ! 7, ■'.'-.•'•'.■ : . v..'-."'.■