THE RAILWAY BOARD

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 98, 20 January 1920, Page 7

THE RAILWAY BOARD

WITHDRAWAL OF A.S.E.S. The Railway Servico Employment Board sat yesterday, Mr. Justico Stringer presiding. This was tho first meeting of this bodv to be held for tho transaction of tho business for which it was set ud. The proceedings.were not open to the Press. Tho decision that tho inquiry should not be ODen to tho Press had been made known some days previously by Mr. Justico Strineer. His decision was to tho elfect that the inquiry was Departmental, and that under the order of reference it could not be a public inquiry.

AVhcn asked a question on this matter bv the representative of tho AS.R.S. (Mr. 11. Hampton) at the sitting yesterday, the chairman gave tho same ruling.

Mr. Hamilton then announced that ho could not. in terras of instructions from his oxocutive, go on with the case- for the A.S.Ii.S.. as the decision of the executive had hecu that tho inquiry must be gone on -within nublic with the Press present. Ho said that the members of his organisation had been led to believe all tho timo that this would be done. Ho announced then that the A.S.K.S. would withdraw from tho proceedings.' His Honour said that he would reDorfc the nosition to tho Government.

This defection of the A.S K.S. doe 3 not mean tho breakdown of the scheme altogether, even if the biggest of tho railway societies persists in its attitude. The two other societies, the loco, men and tho members of tho first division of the service, will still appear beforetho board, and their cases will bo heard as was at first, intended. Rome little delay and lost, time mav be occasioned, but nothing more. EXCLUSION OF TEE PRESS. By Telegraph—Press Association Dunedin, January 19. At'the Railway Officers' Institute Conference to-day strop;; exception was taken to the suggested exclusion of the Tress from the proceedings of the Wages Hoard and a protest was telegraphed to the Minister,