"I KNOW NOTHING OF IT"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 28, 17 February 1937, Page 6

"I KNOW NOTHING OF IT"

-PresB Aesoci&tion.)

(By Telegraph-

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. "I know nothing of this alleged discontent in the ranks of the locomotive men, and no representations indicating this istate of affairs have been made to me or to my executive offlcers," said the General Manager of Railways, Mr Mackley, - when commenting by telephone from Wellington on the statdments of the Christchurch locomotive men. "Nor, so far as I can ascertain, have any such representations been made by the locomotive men to the head office of their assoqiation in Wellington, which is the organisation through which representations on behalf of the men are made to .the department. .-"The exceptional demand of traffic necessitates men engaged on the operating side of the department 's business working more than 40 Bours a week. This is a fact both the department and the men themselves appreciate, as it means more revenue for the State and a larger pay envelope for the men, who are paidfor aR time worked in excess of the 40-hour week. As a matter of fact, the large majority of the men rqadily reeognise and freely admit that their working- conditions are better at the present flme than ever they were before the int'roduction of the 40-hour week and the reinstatement of the cuts in wages. "Some shifts in the Christchurch district are longer than the department desires due' to the exceptionally free movement of live stoek, but according to information supplied from local officers the position this season is much the same as in previous years, and no men are requested to work up to the point where their safety or th'e safety of trains is at all likely to be impaired.