VIEWS OF MR W. A. VEITCH. M.P.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2746, 17 June 1924, Page 4

VIEWS OF MR W. A. VEITCH. M.P.

In the eoni'se of an addiv-.- ai Wanganui last weet: Mr. \Y. A. Yeiteh, ALP., dealt at length with tin' recent railway strife, and I lie existing disputes.

Air. A r eiteh said no matter had received so much criticism as the administration of the Railway Department. They had arrived at a point when public opinion was presing for reforms. He considered that the Department could ho placed upon a satisfactory footing. TTe regarded the setting up of a Commission as a confession of inability to put the Department on a satisfaet ory basis. The Railway Department bad bad trouble with its staff. Tt bad come from two sides. TTe could not exonerate (lie A.S.R.S. from blame, nor the Government. The Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants bad adopted a policy the reverse of the policy when (be (speaker was chairman. If the A.S. R.S. had held that policy the present trouble would not have developed as it did. The trouble was that the A.S.R.S. had become a political organisation, and the leaders thought more of that than they did of their mates. As an ordinary trades union it would have had the respect of every member of Parliament. Tt was a waste of the goodwill of the public to attach to any political party. The best interests of the men would he served begetting hack to the old methods. The A.S.R.S. had an annual revenue of £18,009. but when the strike started they only had Cl a day available for every man. The A.S. R.S. ran the “Railway Review,” and last year it cost, just on £2OOO. Tn if they managed to give tree space to advertise a pamphlet issued by AD. Holland, the Leader of the Labour Party. The “Review ’ should not be used at the expem-e of the rnihvaymen to assist any political party. Next, £IOOO had been invested in the "ALuorilaiid Worker, money contributed from the railwayman's wages. Ii was bad tactics’on the part of the executive of the organisation.