POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS IN RAILWAY WORKSHOPS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 275, 23 June 1888, Page 4

POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS IN RAILWAY WORKSHOPS.

The railway workbhop changes which have often been the subject of gossip in Auckland for some time past in connection with the dismissal of Mr \Y. Elliott, late locomotive foreman of Newmarket shops, and his replacement by a nephew ot Major Jackson, M.H.K., occupied the attention of the House ior borne time yesterday afternoon. The Public

Petitions Committeo reported that having examined into the mattor they had no re commondation to make, whereupon Mr Moss moved that the report be referred back to the Committeo with instructions to report upon the circumstances under which the potitionor was replaced by the presont foreman. Tlio membor for I'arnel), who claims to bo fcho mouthpiece of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, said the matter was one which concerned the railway employees throughout the colony, and allccted more or less the intogrity ot the whole public sorvice. Ho went at length into the grievances of various Auckland artificers who had been either transferred or dismissed, and broadly alleged that it looked a.s though Iho Covcniim?nt wore ondeavouring to till the shops with the relatives of their political friends. In conclusion, Mr Moss stated that he was not personally acquainted with Mr Elliott, butin Auckland it \\iib openly stated that those men who had \oted against the lateGovcrnment were boing removed fiom their positions in the railway woi kshops, and that thc»c changes weie being made as covertly as possible in order to avert that public indignation which would piobably bo aroused by bolder meant* of getting rid of those people being employed. Mr Moss .supported his case by quoting trccly iiom <i lebtei m;dC to him by the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, and brought up the ca.se.-. of Mom-s Ti/ard and <hny us well as that of Mr Elliott. 'Mr Ti/ard, he stated, was torced to icsi^n in consequence of the arbitrary and insulting mannci in which he was addressed by Mr Jackson. The action of the Department was characterised as a eoNort attempt to reduce wages, and the economy shown in the discontinuance of soap w ith which to wash, and the oatmeal for the moii'.s di inking water, was ridiculed. The Minister for Works, in opposing the amendment, said that a sa\ ing ot C 1.250 pet annum had been made in the lailway workshops, by dismissal^ and amalgamation of otliees. It was perfectly true that Mr Jaokeon was a nephew of one of the <Jo\eminent whips, but he had ser\cd his appren ticeship in the Newmaikct workshops. Ho had a large amount of experience and training in every department, and in thovaiious paits of ihe colony where he had been em ployed he had done justice to himself and to the country. The speaker emphatieall> denied that the appointment had been the icsult of political influence, but simply because Mr Jackson was a more able man than his predecessor. The Cm eminent i had no voice in the appointment beyond formally approvmgof it, and he (Mi Mitchelson) was satisfied that all the changes lately made were to the inteicsts of the sen 11.1 and of the colony. The discussion was continued b\ Mi Le\L,st.un, who cited an instance in which the late manager of the Nelson dishict Kiiluays hud been replaced b) a nephew of the late Hon. Ceo. McLean, while Mr Scddon gave it as his opinion that political influence had al-o been biought to beat in the appointment in the Addingtou workshop, and twitted Mr Mitchel&on iqtou his culogium of Mi Jackson, and siid if he was such a tcmaikabiy good man and had managed all the railways fiom the North Cape to In\eicargill, the Government need no longer double about the of a Chief ( ommis-ionei of K.iilwa\-, but should appoint Mr Jackson at once The Colonial Sccietary pointed out that Mr Jackson had iecei\cd most ot his picmotions while the Hon. E. Uielmid-on was Minister foi Works, and said that the people of Napiei weie so pleased with him that the) weie a\erso to losing his services. He assiued the Hoime that s 0 far as Hie Nelson ease was concerned the Government weie not awaio till that afternoon that the gentleman w.i.s related with the Hon. Mi McLean. Mes-is Kelly, Ken, and Oimond objected totheaction ot the Covernmcntinindividual cases ot letienehmcnt being reviewed by the House, and digued that the discussion had shown the necessity oi the achninisha tion of the iail«.i>» being removed from the spheie of political influence. Mi Oimond also said that Mr Jackson was the best iail\\a\ olhcer the) had had at Napier The amendment was lost by 47 to 18. The Auckland membcis who suppoited it weie • -Mc-ms Fta-ei, C oldie, Mo-,, T. Thompson and Taiwhanga. Against Me-si-, Ctidman, Craham, llamlin, Hobbs, Law Iy, Hon. X Mitchel-on, Moat, Monk, 15. Thompson, and J. B Whytc.