1L.^44

1890. NEW ZEA L AND.

RAILWAY EMPLOYES (LETTER FROM THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS REGARDING THE DISMISSAL OF FOUR).

Lat/l on the Table by the Hon. Mr. Mitchelson, with the Leave of the House.

Memorandum by the Railway Commissioners. The Ifon. the Acting Premier. In reply to your request for an explanation regarding the dismissal of four railway employes at Christchurch, we have the honour to report as follows: - The four men are Messrs. Owen, Winter, Elvines, and Newton, who were members of the Executive Committee of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, a deputation from which waited on the Commissioners in June last, in Wellington ; the interviews with whom are recorded in Parliamentary Paper D.-4 of this session. The deputation gave an expression of loyalty to the service, through the president, who said : " The Executive . . . counsel obedience to superiors, stiict attention to duty, and an hoi performance of work." By letter from the secretary of the society, dated the 2Sth August, 1890, the Commissioners received the following assurance :— "This executive does not wish the Commissioners to hi; under the impression that the society upholds employes who may be guilty of insubordination." And on the 28th August we received also the following telegram : — "Informed loco, foreman, Wellington, asking men whether they will strike. Trust report false. No strike anticipated railway-men.—W. J. Edwards." On the 29th August nearly the whole staff on the Westport railway refused to do duty in connection with the running and discharging of coal-trucks at the. railway-staiths. On the 2nd September a number of traffic and permanent-way men at Lyttelton declined duty in connection with handling goods. The Commissioners, believing the assurances of the society, at first thought that the action of the employes in striking was due to excitement and external pressure. The men at Lyttelton, however, stated that they had been "called out" by "the executive;" and on receipt of mails from Westport we found also the following order had been issued there : — •• Westport, 30th Augugt, 1890. " Sib,—] have the honour to inform you, by instructions from the executive of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, that engine-drivers, firemen, and guards are instructed not to shunt coals on staiths. " Charles Reynolds, ■■ Secretary, A.S.R.S., Westport Branch. " T. A. Peterkin, Esq., District Manager, N.Z. Railways." At a meeting held on the 3rd September, at Christchurch, which was reported in the local newspapers, and at which the president and secretary were present, and Messrs. Winter, Owen, Newton, and Elvinea spoke, the following resolution was proposed and carried unanimously: " That this meeting express its unqualified approval and admiration of the manner in which the men now out on strike, both here and at Westport, have responded to the call of the executive, and pledges itself to come out to a man, if called upon, either to assist in terminating the present struggle or to force the reinstatement of the men now out."—On the motion of Mr. Winter. The Commissioners, while they could not allow employes in their service to be openly counselling rebellion and disobedience, were unwilling to take advantage of the men's imprudence during moments of undue excitement; but, as they find it necessary that obedience and order shall be maintained, they determined to remind the employes that strict obedience in future must be observed. They therefore issued the following circular :— " Circular, No. 90/43. " Head Office, Wellington, 6th September, 1890. "To All Railway Kmployks. "The Railway Commissioners have found with regret that some of their employes have been persuaded to act recklessly and foolishly in disobeying orders, and that they have broken faith by refusing to observe the rules of their engagement.