The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1891. RAILWAY SERVANTS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2171, 5 March 1891, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1891. RAILWAY SERVANTS.

Feom returns just to hand it would appear that the railway employes had a really substantial grievance when tbey were fighting the Eailway Commissioners last year, The first return to which we desire to draw attention is that prepared at the instance of Mr George Hutchison, and laid before Parliament last June. This shows that during the twelve months previous to the 81st March, 1890, there were discharged from the Eailway Service 664 married men, besides single men over 18 years, which brought the total up to 983, while 253 single men under 18 years were taken on. This shows, of course, that the policy of the Commissioners was to weed out all the men and place boys in their stead. In the same month, on the motion or Mr W, P. Beeves, another return was placed before Parliament, and this bears out the contention that the Commissioners were flooding the service with boy labor. From this return we learn that during the same period the number ot railway servants under the age of 21 years increased by 236 The return shows that at the beginning of the year the number of servants under— Years. No. No.

Now there is enough here to show that the policy of the Commissioners was exactly as stated by the railway servants, and it seems to us that it justifies the railway sernants' actions in defending themselves. The returns, too, show something Mr Maxwell ought to be called upon to explain at once. Besides 664 married men dismissed, there were 193 single men over 18 years of age got rid of in the twelve months, as well as 126 persons over IS years of age who are set down as " not known " as to whether they were married or single. This makes the total number of persons over 18 years of age—-that is, full-grown men —dismissed in one year 983, and there were taken on in place of these only 253 boys. This is extraording weeding out, and this is what Mr Maxwell ought to be called upon to explain. Mr Maxwell had for years previously been the autocratic manager of the railways, and ought now be called upon to explain how it was that under his control the service was so over-officered that it was possible to dispense with the services of about 800 men. The traffic on the railways has increased, and the work is now being done just as it was beforehand —yet 800 men less are employed ! There cannot be the slightest doubt but this discloses gross mismanagement. TVe never paid much attention to the frequent charges of mismanagement made against Mr Maxwell when he occupied the position of G-eneral Manager, and very frequently we defended him against the accusations made against him. These returns, however, show that the railways were terribly mismanaged under his control, and that they were in the year above referred to conducted with a cold-blooded determination to run them with boy labor. In both cases Mr Maxwell shows up in a position whieh we do not enyy.

14 was 11 increased to i 20 on March 31,1890 15 „ 12 „ „ 45 16 „ 50 „ „ 107 17 „ 75 „ „ 126 18 „ 98 „ „ 117 19 „ 95 „ „ 125 20 „ 65 „ 102 21 „ 51 „ „ 61