The Footplate: Vol. 2, No. 5 (May, 1919)
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• 4b,PANAIMV:v. The Official Organ of The Victorian Locomotive Enginedrivers', Firemen's and Cleaners' Association. Registered at G.P.O., Melbourne, for transmission by Post as a Newspaper Vol. 2, No. 5. MELBOURNE, MAY 31, 1919. Price, 2/- Per Annum, Post Free. THE Loco TAHEEATRE, / Cleanliness Comfort Good Orchestra Perfect Pictures Our Programs may be equalled but Cannot be Beaten. UNITED. WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL. UNIONISTS, you know in hat the above means. Whether you are in the Railway Service or any other calling, UNIONISM and all it stands for de-serves your UNITED SUPPORT. If you do not give it, then you are helping the other side and all it stands for, i.e., Cheap Labour and Sweated Conditions. The Theati ical Employees' Association have fought hard in the Arbitration Court for what it has got, help them to keep it. Nevet in the history- of Australia has the necessity for Unity been greater. So pass the word to the boys and your families to Support The Loco. PROGRAMME CHANGED TWICE WEEKLY. Victoria Street, NORTH MELBOURNE 54 THE FOOTPLATE. May 31, 1919. There can be no doubt that the as laid down in clause 60 of Reg. fact that certain rri.en can and do earn 64, it certainly is not within its Nontplair. large amounts each month during spirit, for it says: " Every enginman busy seasons militates against the " shall be eligible for relief after " They are slaves who will not dare rest receiving reasonable rates of " he has been eight hours on duty, All wrongs to right, pay and working conditions. ." and every engineman who has been All rights to share." We have been told time and again " on duty for a period of tvvelve " hpurs shall 146XXXXXRga9MAWFORMY(63atRWXRWPREO thatthe Department desires to dis- be relieved as soon as couY—age the, working of ove, time, a, id " possible after he makes application discountenances it,' but the Depart- " to the officer in charge." MANAGERIAL NOTES. mental time-books must carry some The number of cases where men remarkable evidence that the "kings" woik over twelve hours are great (some have risen to the rank although Cie Department claims that " The of Footplate " is published ''emperors") still reign and prosper. an improvement has heen effected: monthly. but the number of shifts worked All Branch Secretaries and Execu- The "adjustment" sheets at var- ious places carry undeniable docu- each illy of ten hours upwards to tive officers are empowered to act twelve, indicate that the Eight-Hour as agents for this journat Hand mentary evidence of the fact, and an investigation, if conducted with principle is receiving yery little con- your contributions, name and address the .ideration from the overtime "king,s" to them. We do the rest. object of seeing how it ig done, and who it is done by, would disclose and none at all from the Department. All matter intended for publication the fact that The fact that it cost more to send to be certain men ..et the sent to the Editor, Mr. A. S. overtime pretty well all thé year out a crew to relieve than it does Drakeford, and should be addressed 'round, to the disadvantage to pay- the meal allowance of Is. 6d. to Editor, " Footplate," Loco. Hall, of junior men waiting for promotion, and very seems to carry more weight than Victoria-street, West Melbourne. often to their own ultimate disad- does proper consideration for the Phone, Central 10235. vantage from a health standpoint, welfare of the Engineman, and it Correspondents must attach their cases being within the knowledge demonstrates as nothing else could names and addresses, not necessarily of many where men who sought for do the dire necessity for payment for publication. No matter of a per- overtime and worked it, when broken of a stringent penalty- rate for all sonal character will be published. down in health, eventully becoming work over eight hours in any day, so Literary.—To ensure publisation, recipients of charitable assistance that the Departmental officers will contributions must be in not later f oni their less covetous comrades. find it more economical to sen(I than the 19th of each month. Branch An investigation should be made, than withhold relièf, and more eager reports should be in the hands of with representatives of the Associa- to see that the crew concerned Editor as soon as possible after the tion present, into this problem, and should apply for it in time for it monthly meeting. Write on one side it safe to say that if a stop is put to be sent. of paper only. to the working of overtime then, the The fact that some men can and Subscribers should see that " The prospects of long-delayed promotion do work long hours and turn up for Footplate" is sent to their private due to the construction of larger duty without sufficient rest as well address, and not to loco. sheds. Sub- enginei (A2's and C1's) and the adop- as work days on which they are scribers will be held responsible for tion of electrification, would not be booked off duty, proves nothing but any failure or delivery due to change the "bug-bear" it now is for many that in order to get the best results of address. They should notrv Postal livith years of service ahead. from all men, this state of Depart- authorities of any altered address, It would be of no use taking the mental indifference, as well as the and forward same also to their total time worked and dividing it abnormally greedy man must be held Branch Secretary. by the number of men employed, in eheck by preventative 'measures. for there are some men who never A good deal more concern for the welfare of the Engineman IfIVAVIMVIMCIM,1,1f4if4tf°,,VX011M V work overtime, and others who can- could be not manage to work full time, and, shown by the Department in many unfortunately, a percentage off sick. ways, but if the best is to be made Let the tizne worke'd over and above of the efficiency which is said to EDITORIAL. eight hours per day by each man have been reached in Victoria, de- at work each day be calculated for spite the disadvantages under which 1918, for example, and the result its Locomotive men labor, then it THE EIGHT HOURS PiONCIPLE is necessary to provide means where- IGNORED. will conclusively show that many men in eaph of the grades of the by they can live nAtural and health- service were deprived of rightful pro- 'ful lives, receive rates of pay com- The Locomotive Enginemen of this motion. mensurate with their responsibilities State fought for years for an eight- This would be bad enough any- and emove from their ba,cks the hour working day, and were denied where, tut under the Victorian op- burden imposed in 1903, which is it for years after most other pressive system of classifying. the only scientific inasmuch as it suc- branches of the service had had it work it is an injustice that should ceeds in enabling the Department to applied to them. not be tolerated, and it is up to the get the work from whiqb it derives It was Sir Thomas Bent who said Department which insists on the re- its greatest revenue done at cheaper that the Enginemen did not want an tention of a system which could rates of pay, and under worse work- eight-hour day so much as payment only be imposed upon men who were i'ng conditions than any other part on t hat basis, and as much work as di organised by an unsuccessful of Australia. theiy could get, and while this was strike forced upon them by political —o-- entirely wrong in the main, there tyranny, to make some practical ef- MI'. W. Smith was elected General is no doubt, unfortunately, that it fort to put a stop to it and it is Secretary of the Victorian Railways was true of a small section of the up to the men to assist in that direc- Union by the recent Conference. men who have been and apparently tion. His experience and knowledge, always will be the "overtime kings" Owing to the absence of penalty ga. ined as an organiser both of the of the Loco. Branch. IThat that tyre of rates for overtime, in which respect Painters' Union and the V.R.U., as man is not wanting in other branches again Victoria stands almost alone, well as his political campaigning, of the- service does not make our wires for relief are not given serious stand him in good stead. " The position any better, and it requires consideration 'by many foremen un- Footplate " congratulates Comrade a strong effort, and a concerted one, less over twelve hours on duty, is Smith upon his appointment, and to keep them, few as they are, from practically assured, which, while it Welcomes him into the Railway In- discrediting the movement generally. may be within the letter of the law dustrial arena. 55 May 31, 1919. THE FOOTPLATE. in the next Federal Parliament, and MINA V ttf ittt steTI;V itf WAN; 11 natively to make the Bill for the creation of the Board the first mea- it is up to the workers to use the sure to be put through Parlia- political powers which they possess ment wrien it meets, its decisions to bring about its prcisperity and MONTH BY MONTH. to be made operative from May their own industrial emancipation.