BUSINESS DELAYED

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 208, 28 May 1919, Page 6

BUSINESS DELAYED

-4 THE RAILWAYMAN'S GRIEVANCES. Owing to the intorruption of the ferry service between Lyttelton and Wellington the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir Jame.3 Allen) is"stranded in Christchurch. It is hoped that ho will be permitted to return to Wellington by the steamer to arrive to-morrow morning.

In ordinary circumstances the delay would not be very important, but on this occasion the Minister desired to bo in Wellington at the earliest possible date in order/to be present at a meeting of Cabinet, at which certain questions in, which railwaymen are interested are to 1)0 considered. Two weeks ago Sir James Allen promised a deputation of locomotive men that a proposal they n\ade to him for the holding of a con-' ference with tho Department with nn outside conciliator in tho chair would be considered by Cabinet, and that they would have the answer within a week. It happened most unfortunately that tho Minister of Railways (the Hon. W. H. Herriea) -was in the north, where he lind made appointments which he had to keep, and he was not able to return, to Wellington until last Saturday. In the meantime Sir James Allen had to go <outh to keep appointments made by him, and this delayed the. Cabinet meeting for tho determination of this important question. In this tlni* the other dispute regarding the, exercise uf Hie Minister's veto of the decision of the Appeal Board drose, and Cabinet will have this matter before it nko when it meets. As the railwaymen have already had to wait some time for their replies it was very important that this meeting 6hould not bo delayed.