233
THE APPEAL TRIBUNAL
the men work overtime they are not at to do proper work in regular office hours, It has to go on, but the leas we see of it the better.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR You will find it very hard
to convince the Attorney- General on that matter. There is only one other point. Do you happen to know anything about the Dominion Bank of Canada T
Mr. Ross THOмBON-I cannot remember having had any transactions with it.
H.E. THE GOVERNOR --It is a very large bank and employs a very large staff. I happen to know at the present moment that that bank has only four of the senior staff left. There are 36 women now run- ning the bank. One of these women in a young girl-Miss Pybus daughter of old Captain Pybus, who was well-known to sil of us. She has risen in that bank in nine months to the position which is called in Canada a teller-the principal cashier of the whole bank, a very respon. sible position. That shows you what can be done when stern necessity drives.
Mr. Ross THOMSON-We have been sending to Canada for women in our business. We are the only firm that has done that as far as I know. These train- ed capable wollen are very valuable.
The matter was then considered in private. HF Tax GOVERNOR pointed out that the Tribune! whose decision appealed against, contained five apecially selected business men who were thoroughly conversant with shipping, sugar refining, and insurance. It was his own opinion that the Tribar a decisions should be upheld, unless fresh and important evidence was put for ward. Nothing new had been put before them. The Secretary of State, in the tele- gram which had been read, had expressly itated that he did not wish to interfere with the local consideration of individual cases. There was no question of taking men high up in the office. These men were all young juniors, and he found it quite impossible to believe that they were in any way essential. There was no fetish about being a commer cial clerk. A man of good education and steady habits ought to be able to take the place of any one of the three men. Butterfield & Swire did not seem to recognize Messrs. that the need for men was urgent. Firms of
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their point of view would never try to get substitutes, unless men were forcibly taken. Wide publicity had been given to the fact that substitutes were to be
had but Messrs. Butterfield & Swire had made no attempt whatever even to ascertain their them that nobody in the Colony could carry Dames. Mr. Brewer had pleaded before on his business, and now force of circum- kin and make arrangements for a substitute, stances had caused him to approach Mr. Jen. On the other side they bad the example of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, who had taken three substitutes, including two Government Servants, with no previous banking experience, who were reported to be shaping very well. In short, he was absolute- ly convinced that the three young men now in question could not in any sense be garded as essential for the work which Messrs. Buttertield & Swire were carrying on.
Mr. POLLOCK thought it a fallacy that any- hody could do anybody else's work. Substitu- tion was a thing, not to be welcomed, but to be avoided as far as possible. A considerable training e amount of trouble had to be taken over
new man. Johnstone could be spared; but he regarded He agrees that Mr. Mr. McIntyre and Mr. Rawlinson as being in an entirely different category. He dissent ed that Mr. Hamilton could take the place of either.
Mr. STABB suggested that the firm would not have made such very strong representa- tions, unless there was good reason. Their business was very important and he thought that exemption for some months should tu given.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said that he too was struck by the apparently genuine character of the firm's representations. But it was an important point that in neither shipping office was the staff, in fact, reduced below pre-war standard. It was admitteri that in both offices the work had been reduced at least in proportion to the staff. Mr. Falconer's offer of assistance should be kept in view.
Davis could take his sick leave and could be The COLONIAL SECRETARY Said that Mr. back before Mr. Rawlinson would leave for
India.
The matter was then put to the vote.
It was unanimously agreed to uphold the decision of the Tribunal as regarded Mr. Johnstone.
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