RAILWAYMEN’S ROW

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 922, 15 March 1930, Page 1

RAILWAYMEN’S ROW

CONFLICTING STATEMENTS PRESIDENT AT A LOSS Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. In. an interview Mr. F. J. Lewin, of the Engineers’, Firemen’s aid Cleaners’ Association, who has arived in Wellington from Falmerstgn .\orth following the disturbance at the iead office of the association several •lays ago, states that he is at a complete loss to understand the attitude .aken up by the four members of the executive council concerned. He says that for some time there ias been a feud in the association as o whether active footplate men should, be the only ones allowed to hold office and apparently Wednesday’s disturb - .nee was the result of that. A statement has been made on behalf of the four council members that the report of the events on Wednesday was exaggerated. The four include .he trustees and treasurer of the association and they became aware of he fact that no money had been paid nto the association’s bank account -luce last August and in order to afeguard the interests of members they decided to make an investigation, out were frustrated by Mr. J. A. j Veitcli, the acting-general secretary, ; who they say set himself up in that position. They say no physical force was used. In reply to the latter statement Mr. Veitch stated that the reason no money had been banked since August was that one of the trustees refused to sign any cheques. It had therefore been necessary to work on the money in hand as it came in. An audit had been published in the last issue of the “Locomotive Journal,” the books being balanced to December 31 and the balance sheet circulated to members of the association and therefore there had 1 i been no necessity for any investigation.