THE "FORTY YEARS" REGULATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1922, 30 October 1884, Page 2

THE "FORTY YEARS" REGULATION.

It will be remembered that some time ago the Permanent Way Department on the Auckland Railways issued an order that no man over the age of forty should be taken on to work on the permanent way. The injustice involved in the regulation was so glaring that we felt consttained at the time to condemn it. At the same time some of those who had been in the employment of the Railway Department and looked foiward to more work, but who had parsed the age of forty, forwarded, through the member for Wnikato, a petition to the Government. It will be within the recollection of our readers that the Minister for Public Works, when questioned in the House, said he was not aware of the regulation, and a letter containing that information was received from Mr Whyte by Mr EL P. MoPherson, one ot the petitioners. Meantime the following telegram had also been forwarded to Mr Lake, the member for Waipa, by a resident of Hamilton who had interested himself in the matter :— " The regulation is a great injustice to many really deserving men. As fathers of families they certainly have a larger claim for consideration as contributing more to the revenue, and from family ties are prevented from moving about the country as single men can, aa the demands for labour change." To this Mr Lake replied that the Minister had stated in the House that no such regulation existed.