THE GOVERNMENT STROKE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 329, 22 January 1909, Page 2

THE GOVERNMENT STROKE

MEETINC, 01' THE MEN. A JiOMBSHELL. FILL MJUJRY DEMANDED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, January 20. During their half-hour's luncheon adjournment to-day over three hundred of the men employed at Addiiigtoii' Railway Workshops held a meeting to discuss the Ueneral Manager's letter to' the Chief Mechanical Engineer at Wellington, forwarded to the workshops manager, which passed severe strictures upon the methods under which thje, work at the Addmglon shops was carried out.

The chairman of the meeting said it was by no means with feelings of pleasure that he had consented to preside and to address the men. They were gathered to consider the. General Manager's letter, and he thought if they allowed it to go forth uncontradicted they i would be considered throughout the Dominion—aye, and throughout the world —as anything but men. (Applause.) 'l'ii.-y had seen the letter in the newspapers for the lirst time. (A voice': " It's a lot of rot.") Kor the licnelit of those who ha.l not seen it he would read what the manager thought of them. Having read the letter, the speaker saiil they were not present to go into the question of whether the charges were true or not; they were there to say whether they would -c----inain under the stigma or prove themselves men and demand an inquiry. It was no use getting excited. The question was whether they would lay down to it or stand up for their right's. The simplest method would be to demand an inquiry into the charges made bv -Mr. ltonnyne. The matter was not so much one of the opinion of a consulting engineer or the. greatest engineer the railways had got. The point was that their good name was being stolen. There was no need for a drastic resolution, hut merely for one demanding an immediate, inquiry. One of the meii moved: That this meeting of railway employees at Addington Workshops demands that the fullest inquiry be made into the charges made by a so-called expert engineer, as mentioned in the General Manager's ' letter, and that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to the .Minister of Railways. The motion was seconded, and in the course of the subsequent discussion one of Hie speakers said they wanted a public inquiry before a magistrate, not before departmental ollicers or anyo.ie. else, and that .Mr. Ronnyec should bring his informant face to face with the men. The motion was carried unanimously and the meeting dispersed with cheer's for the chairman.

A I'EKKECT BOMBSHELL. The men in all departments at Aildington arc surprised and indignant at the charges made against several divisions. Sir. Ronayne's letter came as a perfect bombshell among them, tlrere being not the slightest indication given previously that such serious dissatisfaction was entertained at headquarters. Some of the more impetuous ot the hands among whom a reporter moved during lunch-time were bubbling over with explanations and assertions indicating the baselessness of the i charges, but the older hands displayed more discretion and preferred (in view of an' inquiry probably being held) to emulate the 'example of Brer Rabbit and keep their information for a properly-consti-tuted tribunal. However, it is'easy to glean that something is behind the present trouble, and the general impves- I sion is that a more or less serious breach between the administrative and executive heads has occurred, and that search is being made for a. scapegoat. 1

.DISCUSSED BY A L'ABOll CNKIX. Duuedin. Tliursdav. At a- meeting of the Otago Boilermakers' I'nion, allegations concerning the "flnveriiinent stroke'' methods ut the Aildington workshops were discussed. It was stated that 'boilermakcis' work was being done by laborers at Hillside, hence the work being cheaper there than at Addinglon. The meeting resolved that the Minister of Railway's be asked to make full iiujuiry into the iillegations concerning the Hillside works.