DISSATISFACTION IN THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2204, 7 October 1907, Page 4

DISSATISFACTION IN THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

FEELING IN DUNEDIN. While no mooting of the Otago branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants lias boon hold recently, and no collective expresidon of opinion Ims been given by motion or otherwise, that- body is in deep sympathy with Mr. J. A. McCullough .in his suspension by tho Acting-Minis-ter for Railways from the railway service, and considers that tho cuds of justice and discipline would have been met by a treatment much loss harsh than that meted out- to him. There is also a strong feeling in local labour circles against the action of the Government- in connection with the present general ventilation of grievances among railway servants. A source of dissatisfaction among members of the second division of the service that ln.is probably not been touched on before is the constitution of (the Fail way Appeal Board. When this Board was first constituted under the Railways Classification Act, provision was made for one man to represent the members of the second division in each island. This, was acted -upon for some time, and worked satisfactorily, but owing, it is understood, to the request of some of the members of the Re-tone workshops, forwarded through Mr. Wilford (member for Huff), the constitution was altered from a general to a departmental representation. That- is, instead of having one man to represent the recoiul division in each island on the Board, each of the four departments in each island —the locomotive, traffic, maintenance, and shops—had individual representation, each department electing its o-wn representative, the interests of an appellant from any particular department being watched by the elected representative of such department. With the first division the old method of one representative for euc-li island was retained. Where tho disadvantage lies with tho second division in the altered method is that in nearly every case coining up before the Board there is a fresh man appearing. Naturally enough, ho cannot possibly be expected to know tho procedure in the same manner as the representative of tho first division, who sits with the Board over every case in the island, which ho represents.

‘■Our experience of the working of the Board,” a member of the second division said to an “Otago Times” reporter, “lias induced us to beliove that the cliunge has not been for the better, and there is now a consensus of opinion among the members of the division that tlie Board should revert to its old constitution.” nilother rule that it is considered should prevail is that the decisions of "Jio Board should he final, and that +be’e is no reason why the Minister should retain the right of veto, a 6 he does under the present form of tho Act. Incidentally, i.t seems almost like tho iron- of fate that in tho present ventilation of grievances Mr. Wilfoird, M.H.R.. is the one who during this session has taken strong exception t\> the constitution of the Board. It -,is also understood tli-at there are other difficulties in connection with the Appeal Board tlnvt, in the opinion of the second division, require remedying, but which, however, will probably receive a.tention in the not- distant future.”