RAILWAYMEN OBJECT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1022, 12 July 1930, Page 9

RAILWAYMEN OBJECT

LEVY OF WEEK’S PAY LIVING “HAND TO MOUTH” From Our Ouui Correspondent HAMILTON, Today. Opposition to the scheme of the Minister of Railways, by which employees of the railway service in all. divisions should contribute a week’s pay to prevent dismissals from the workshops, is expressed by railwaymen at Frankton. One said that if it were a remedy and not relief the3 r ■vould be only too willing to adopt the idea. , The consensus of opinion was that the Minister’s suggestion was tantamount to a compulsory levy on employees. Why should they be urged to take this course and not so with °ther members of the community, one u facial asked. Workers In the workshops were quite separate from the railway service itself. Many were engaged for special work, and now that the work Mas completed there was apparently no further need of their services. Why should the regular service men of the department, who were'not well Paid and have their own worries, be asked to contribute to the relief of Jois section of the unemployed? The general Manager could contribute a year’s salary without feeling it, but the average employee lived from hand-to-roouth. Many men earning little m°re than £4 a week had six arid more children to support. Cable Jottings THURSDAY ISLAND SHAKEN A startling earth tremor, lasting five * econ ds, was experienced at Thursday island. The buildings ,and contents tattled, but no serious damage is reported. I'XEMPLOYMKNT PEAK*. The WinUter ot Labour, Miss Margaret "ondfleld, in answer to a question in House of Commons, said the highpoint of unemployment was cached in June, 1921, when 2,580,429 were out of work. SOOPS HTJRI,EP SKYWARD —A Wild tornado swept Bankstown (New Wales), and the adjoining subi/* 3CBte rday afternon. It lifted the 1 n roofs of two shops into the air, e ck€;d telegraphic and electric light a r . e ** a nd caused the utmost conster•i°n among the inhabitants.