Dismissals from City Tramways

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 79, 24 June 1927, Page 16

Dismissals from City Tramways

150 MEN MAY GO A LOAN CONTINGENCY How over 100 men will be thrown out of work, if the City Council's pending loan proposals are not carried, was explained by Cr. J. A. C. Allum, chairman of the Tramways Committee, last evening. H E made an illuminating explanation, in answer to an inquiry by Cr. M. J. Bennett, who wished to know the strength of rumours that the tramway department was about to put off 30 men who had been working on the tracks. “It is a fact,” replied Cr. Allum, “that the Tramways Committee has had to putting off 30 men this week, another 30 in a fortnight, and more in two months’ time.” WORK FOR TRADESMEN After consideration, he said, the committee had decided to retain these men for the present, keeping them on maintenance work, which would thus be expedited, so that there would be less later in the year. If the loan to be put before the ratepayers was carried there would be no dismissals. On the contrary, men would be taken on. In addition there would be work found for about 120 skilled tradesmen. If the loan was rejected 150 men would be thrown out of work, and it would be no fault of the Tramways Committee, because those men had been taken on last year to do special work, which had now come to an end.