BULLYING ALLEGED.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 May 1923, Page 3

BULLYING ALLEGED.

IN RAILWAY DEPARTMENT

AUCKLAND, May 13

'l'l.o tranquility of the Railway Appeal Board sitting in Auckland was considerably disturbed by an allegation that the higher officials of the department indulge, in bullying tactics when dealing with employees in lower grades. This subject cropped up during Hie hearing of an appeal by T. L. Milh, ol Newmarket, against reduction ham chief lifter to lifter. A witness named Horace Lawrence, also a lifter at Newmarket, said that be was taken before ihe locomotive engineer and questioned. lie felt confused and bustled. Air J. Alack (for Mills): \\ lint was the trend of bis questions?—He asked me about a dozen times what was Mills's intention regarding the wagon in dispute. A statement, was compiled from witness’s answers, and he signed it. The chairman 'Mr J. G. I*. Hewitt) questioned Lawrence on certain points in his signed statement, and asked whv he had made them?

Mr Mack: Ho made them because be was under examination. (To witness): AYhen you were before the locomotive engineer, did you tell your story ot was it dragged out of you? It. uas dragged out ol me.

Replying to the chairman, witness said he, was confused when lie made his statement, which was bullied out of him.

The chairman; Bullied out of you?— Yes, practically. Mr Alack: They bully them to death. M r G. IT. AI aekley (for the department',: 1 object to that statement. So far as the department is concerned if is nut its practice to obtain statemen Is in any unfair way. Its officers are honourable men and fair-minded

men. Mr TTack: Some of them. Mr Mnekley: 1 must emphatically protest, against any such statement from Mr Mack. 1 think if he were speaking from the bottom of his heartlie would say I was correct. The chairman: Or speaking from any part of his heart. M r Mack: I am speaking from personal knowledge, and I refer to tho way various statements: are got: from members. In this instance the locomotive engineer had no right to road another man’s statement over to Lawrence. Mr Mackley: It, would not help him. Mr Mack: It did not. help him; it must have been to influence him in what, lie would say. If Mr Mackley wants something further, I can give him it. Mr E. E. Gil lon (Chief Mechanical Engineer) : Ho not make any threats. Mr Mack: I am not making threats, and I am not going back to the service to be bullied either. Mr Gillon: You never were bullied. At the conclusion of the evidence, Mr Mack contended that the General Manager had no power to reduce Mills merely on the ground that there was an intention only to do something that would he nil offence if committed, the allegation being that Mills intended to put into service a wagon that was unfit, which was denied. The board reserved its decision.