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The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10829418
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RAILWAYS INSTITUTE.
.OPENING CEREMONY.
ADDRESS BY MR. TAIT.
\n institution which his sprung mlo ox isteneo with the new Central Rulway Station is the Victorian Railways In stitutc »vlueli provides the railway meu of Y'lctoni »yith an up to date, comfortable and splendidly equipped club 'Iheie are over ii doren rooms at the institute, and they face the southern corridor on the third floor Theie is a ltifcc concert hall »vilh anterooms, a hilliard room, »vith three fine "bles, i Kininasmm, with oil the latest i__iupmtnl, elicbsuig and bath looms a gimes room le terence mel le nding library (the 1 itter con tuning over 0 000 volumes), leading nnd smoking room and two chess rooms where instruction will bo given in shorthand, type- writing bool 1 coping account ine) the use of tho Y\ cstingliou=e bra] c, and applied mechanics All the rooms arc furnished on an elabórate ind modem scale, and tho w dib are adorned by mi exceptionally fino collection of picluics.
Hie institute commences »yith a member- ship i oil of 4 500 and this number is in creasing Hie rates of membership are ex cccdingl) moderate the scale being 8/ per annum foi membeis receiving in s dury or »vages over £100 and 4/ for those in receipt of leos 1 oi country membeis half of these rates aio charged Equally moderato einiges aro imposed foi the iibc of the bil hard table, g)iunasium, and attend inco at tile classes, but for the iiititi_l payment alone niembois obtain mau) nutcnal bene-
fits
Hie institute was forraall) doclutcel open in the piesence of a _r_e g itherinc, by the lion picsident of the council of manage ment (Mr 1 H Woodrollo) on Saturday afternoon Amongbt those prc-ent weio the Railway Commissioners Messrs T Tait (chairman), W lil/pitnck, and C E Norman, members of the council, and leading railvva) oflicials
Ali '1 II \\ oodioflo lormallv declared the institute open lho looms, ho sutil, had been piovuled by the Railway Com missioncrs, and ever)one who inspected them would see that they weio adrainbly siuted to the purposes of the institute Hie commissioners had also placed at the disposal of the council the sum of i,4,ál7, a half of this being the fines thai had ne cumulated since 1901, and tho other half a provision fiom the oommissioneib' funds Ibis indicated ii great interest on the part
of the commissioners and n deslio to mal e the venture n. buccess tnd est lbhsh un m stitutc second lo none in the Southern hemisphere It was only due to the em plo)ees and those »?ho »voulcl benefit to expirss tho highest apprcci ltion and thanks to the commissionci. for whit they li id doiio ( .jipi tuse ) I lint this apprécia tiou was lo i large extent t nnccded was evidenced bv the fiet that the members alreuilv mimbi re el neiirlv 4'500 and olhirs had signified then intention of joining Ho understood tint that numbei w es nbont one iliiitl of the whole railvva» scivue anil mote than one li iff of the men in Melbourne and suburbs I he management of the in stitutc was m the hands of a committee
parllv elected bv the cmplo)ees and nut Hy
nominated b» the comnw-sumeis Tho in stitutc was open to all sections of the mil vvav service whether permanent or casunl
Members of the Stale and Commonwealth
public Hen ices could also cntol, but thev could not have anv »mee in the manage- ment of the institution Hie institute, ho thought would mako for ofncienev and economv and the harmonious working of the whole railway s)stem of the Statt
( ^pp! nibo ) j "
Jil _ lit who wai received »nth pro longini appluuse, said tint at a ccremonv
iff" October he lind had the pleasure of nelehe smg some rather length) lemail s lo tho^e »vim intended becoming members of lho institute Hie occasion w is the ndop lion of the institute's constitution and the election of the president <anel othei office! s In {lint address he had said that the ni
st utc was the pramcal realisation of a scheme »vinci the commissioners had li id m mind "ince 1101 The eeiemon» that dav, however »vis the actual consummn lion of the scheme and of a desire that had been von near to the he-iits of the com mifisioners all those »ours and foi which flic) had eunesllv stnven ( Vpnluusc ) Hie crmiiiissioneis had reason to lie well satisfied with the consummation form thal uishtiite fiom the points of view ot con vi nu ni uni Mittible loe ilion extent of ne rimiuindilion iqiipmenl and fin mcial post
lion he thought thev lind in nish!utc with which none in the Southern Henri nhete t mid e imp ne ind winch could hold its iwn willi sinRlar institutions in mv othei 1 ut of the »volId (Cheeis ) He had still in his Oelober address and he dcsncd to rcpcil it tltut what the commissioner-, had done in the w i) of aiding the institute ind not been lone sole 1\ foi jilu! in lu op e ii istuis It was because the) considere 1 the institute i good business investment
and because it vv is justified fiom tint point cf view It »vns to the aelvanligc of em plojers to see that then emplovoos received fun treatment ajid worled under hcilthr and favourable conditions and it »va.s ilso to then nelv vntngc to seo lo tho well hems and welfaic of the emplovees when off elutv-to h"c tint their moral and phvbical well ire \v is nioinoied, und Hut thur ela eitlen vv is iclvanccd Clem living hetltliv ph)nctl anti moi ii conditions nnd educa tionil fulittles weic, thev would all ad mit t*3 eulin! in the mil ing of good ni]
vv u men ( Ypplau'-c ) rnviionment and sunoiiiiihngs li id i good dell lo do »vith the leqinsition ind maintenance of those quail
dotions Ile hoped tint the ins iluto would pi ovo to be a pine wheir men off tltitv »vould be able to cultiv ito those quill
fie liions
rt w ts also hoped continued Tifa '1 ut Hut the institute would be a place where »unlit in n not linne, at home would hi uble to cunio dining theil spaio horns, nnd win re Ihev »vould not to influenced b) un suit tble acquaintances or by bad sill
ioundinc,s (Heal, heir) It would tlso be a pi ice »vlueh »vould give to mai ned men who son ctimcs wantetl lo get iwav from home for n night an excuse for doing so (Luighter) Ho hoped willi then wives, lionevel that when the man led men said tint thev were going to the nisti tule thev would go theie (Renewed laugh ter) lu the institute evciyone the com missioncis officer- ind employes dil e would meet on common ¡.lound »vithout an) distinction or difference Emp'oveos and the olhcors of the » irions bl luches | »soui i be ible to meet theie and sinl
blanch ilifftrences No racial political oi sectarian differences would have uri) foot ing (Applause ) The institute »v is not for the commissioners» or the officers or the emplovees, or for those belonging to any paititulai branch It was for even one who was in the railway humee eligible for membership and who became i mem bcr On behilf of the eommissioucis he dcsncd to endorse what had leen said re (.aiding the »aluible services i endured bv the president of the council (Ali \V 1. 13ro»vn), the provisional committee »»hieb diafted the constitution, Hie permanent ofheers, and the councU of the institute Hie institute would not bo a buccess how ever unless it had the heart whole and loyal support of eveiy mau ni the nul»» iy ser vice and of each of us m minis Vveij member should nguri) ti» institut" anl its intciists is though the) »eli his iw li . Ln it trust had bein t,i»on nto then I ecu ing, and he w ia suio that it vould uot be abused, and that tho best use woidd bo made of it Ho wished tho instituto and
its members __ccc__, and every, proejc-ity. (Appl»usc4 _,_________