Untitled

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7812, 3 June 1909, Page 3

At an interview with the Executive Council of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister of Railways, said that he had already agreed to increase the pay of the enginemen, but he could not agree to give the leading tradesmen an increase. He could not grant a forty*ight hours week, but he was calling for a return showing the hours worked and the number of trains run on a certain section where it was said that tablet porters frequently worked as much as seventy-eight to eighty-five hours a week. The deputation protested against juniors being superseded by men who came into the. service as labourers, and the Minister replied that lie had given instructions that no more labour should Xxs put on, The Mana--watn men taken on at the Petone ■workshops would be placed &f> the bottom- of their grades. It was his intention thnt length of service should be the basis of classification, but he had found that this could not be done liriaer; the: Manawatu, Railway Purj,.chase''Actv .'■'■■ ';, '':' ■ , - ■