RAILWAY CONTRACTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 724, 25 July 1929, Page 7

RAILWAY CONTRACTS

LACK OF WORK AT THAMES PETROL TANKS AND ENGINES (THE SEN'S Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Two questions affecting the unemployment of former railway engine factory hands at Thames were asked of the Minister of Railways, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, by Mr. A. M. Samuel (Thames) in the House of Representatives this afternoon. He asked that in view of the unemployment among the skilled tradesmen employed by the firm of A. and G. Price, the Minister reconsider his decision, and give the contracts for building of heavy engines and some of the repair work that had accumulated to the firm in question. The Minister expressed regret at hearing of unemployment among the tradesmen, but said that with the reorganisation of the workshops it would not be policy to give work to • Thames that could be done in the shops. He admitted that repair work had been accumulating, but this was now being overtaken, and the organisation was being rapidly completed. In a question concerning the Government’s taking away the contract for making petrol pumps from Price's. Mr. Samuel mentioned Government interference in private enterprise. Mr. Taverner said that there had been no question of this, and the work had been entrusted to Prices’ before because that step suited the Railway Department. The railway workshops were capable of making the tanks, and Prices’ had been informed to that effect. One order for tanks for a local company had been given to Prices’, as the boiler-making shops of the railways were busy. Mr. Samuel:. Prices’ always made them for that company. Mr. Taverner said that there was no intention of withholding work from Prices’ if it could be economically and conveniently done by them.