RAILWAYMEN'S PAY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2721, 16 March 1916, Page 6

RAILWAYMEN'S PAY

RESOLUTION AT GREYMOUTH. The following resolution has been' passed by the Greymouth branch of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers:— "That this largely-attended and 'repre-' sentative meeting of the Greymouth branch of the A.S.R.S. herewith tender their sincere thanks to the president and general secretary and members of the oxecutive for their splendid efforts on behalf of railwaymen generally to alleviate the almost impossible predicament in which we to-day find ourselves owing to the increased cost of living, and that this branch will stand loyal to any action that they may. deem it necessary to take ; and, further, we urge tliem to continue to press the demands already made, which -we consider reasonable beyond doubt, seeing that the purchasing power _of our wages has decreased by one-third, due, no doubt, to the unparalleled and unscrupulous exploitation <rf the patriotism of the poorer classes per medium of the necessaries of life. "Wo also consider that the time is long past when the railwaymen of New Zealand should unite with outside labour in the political field to secure such representation in the Parliament of this country as. would ensure our interests being guarded, and prevent a recurrence of our present pitiable plight. "We consider .tlmt it is now plainly visible that we railwaymen must fight the coming election as one man in the interests of the workers of this country; and tin's branch e.n-nestly requests'the j.executive to give the latter portion of this resolution their serious consideration, with a view to starting to educate our railway brothers, so that thev will" know what power they can wield if they rightly estimate the value of their votes, and how we, if organised in a proper manner, could form such a body that at the next General Election we ■would then at last make our demands through the ballot-boxes a great factor to bo reckoned w'th,"

"DOWN TOOLS" MOTION AT NAPIER, By Telegraph—Prose- Association.• Napier, March 15. At a _ representative meeting of local Railway Servants, it was unanimously lesolvod: "That this branch considers that the Premier's' replv is very unsatisfactory, and the executive is recommended to hold a ballot of members throughout the Dominion on tho .question of an immediate cessation of work if tho demands aro not complied with."