THE RAILWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1921, Page 4

THE RAILWAYS.

MEN’S THREAT TO STRIKE. NO CHANGE IN POSITION. By Telegraph.—Preas association. Wellington, Last Night. There is no change in the railway position. The chief mechanical engineer of the Railway Department has returned to Wellington, and is investigating the complaints made by the engine drivers and firemen regarding the quality of the coal used on the engines, but it is not likely the complaints will be replied to before Saturday. AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. DIFFICULTY WITH COAL. Wellington, Jan. 20. The official side of the railway dispute* regarding coal is that the men are paid full wages for all the time they are employed. The department would much prefer to u§e good coal, but must uso what is available. The alternative would be to reduce the number of trains and throw many men out of employment altogether. Inferior coal often means late trains and the burden of that falls on the department. It is contended, further, that the firemen presented their strike notice without giving the manager and officers adequate time to consider their claims and grievances. 4 OFFICERS DISSATISFIED. PROTEST AT TREATMENT. Invercargill, Last Night. The local branch of the Railway Offii cers’ Institute carried the following resolution unanimously: “That as a conciliation agreement was concluded between the Government and the Institute, the executive be requested to approach the Government and point out the failure of .the department in many important respects to bring the finding of the Conciliation Committee into operation, though . seven months have elapsed since the ratification took place. It is the unanimous opinion of this meeting that no redress is likely to be obtained from the department, anxl that the agreement is usless unless interpreted according to the wording and spirit of the agreement. Also, that the executive should point out to Mr. Mas. sey that other bodies, when' unable to obtain redress of their grievances, adopt desperate measures, which generally have the desired effect, whilst the institute, by adopting constitutional methods, is generally left in the lurch, which is no encouragemertt to a constitutional body.”