THE RAILWAYS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9146, 31 October 1919, Page 6

THE RAILWAYS.

CLASSIFICATION BILL ALTERED.

PROPOSED BOARJ> OF INQUIRY

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, October 29. The Railways Committee, returned the. lliu'lway Classification Act Amendment. Bill to the House to-day with a number of important amendments, and t also made a recommendation that the Government should set up a board • •om prising the judge of the Arbitration. Quirt or other Supreme Court judge, who shall be chairman, a representative of tho Government aJid, representatives of the Railway Officers' Institute, Amalgamated' .Society of

Rail .ray Servants and Locomotive Association, the last three representatives to act only in respect; of such mat 1 ers as relate to their respective branches of the railway service. The duty- of "the board shall be to consider and report upon such questions of ■wages and working conditions as shall be ■■ referred to it by the Minister. The Railway Committee has amended'", .the* Bill by deleting' the word "merit" from: the qualifications for promotion, leaving as the essentials "efficiency and good conduct!" A new clause provides that where the rate of pay is fixed by reference to age the member shall be entitled to increase of pay in every"year'as from the date of his birthday.. A note at the head of the classification list, empowering the General Manager to promote from any grade to-a higher class by reason .of"special merit or ability has been deleted. "In the schedule of salaries of high

officials the former maxraum of £1250 is replaced by a minimum of £1000, rising b*y -two increments of £100 and one of £50 to a maximum of £1250. The chief accountant's maximum is reduced from £1000 to £900, with a minimum of £800, the Controller of Stores from £900 to £800, with'a minimum of £650, signal engineer from £900 to £800* with a minimum of. £650. No change is made in other first division salaries.

Second division schedules relating to leading hands, Grade 2, have been A raried"by enabling a maximum of 1.5s 6d to be paid on promotion A note opposite the classification of junior porters, cleaners, surfacemen, signal erectors and all other juniors, that the increment is not to be paid iHitil the member has been'in receipt of the loAver rate of pay for 12 months'" has been deleted

Reporting on the Locomotive Society's petition praying for "increased wages and' improved conditions, the Railways Committee states', that "a,s the subject-is-dealt with ■in its ■ report on the'Railways.'Classification Bill it has no recommendation to make. .DISCUSSION.IN" THE HOUSE. When the report was presented members showed by their questions considerable interest in the changes made in the .Bill by the Railways, Committee. The leader of the Opposition said he wished strongly to dissent from the proposal to deal piecemeal with the high salaries question, when the Secretary of the Post Office, -having charge of Kfty millions worth of property was get ring a much lower salary than the General--Manager of Railways. He enumerated similar cases .of underpaid: departmental heads. The Railways Bill had proposed to give high officers increases which would enable them to retire on their option with an additional £200 superannuation, though every year the' State had to provide heavy " subsidies to support the fund. He had details showing that a large number of railwoymen could not pay their way out of railway salaries. The speaker read a number of tabulated statements of workers' earnings- and expenditure to prove his , contentiion. There was a great contrast between these Avages and the large increases to highly paid officers. Mr*' Massey: There has been a material 'alteration yin the Bill upon'my motion.

"Mr Joseph Ward went on to say that he had a list of officers whose salaries aggregated £13,840, all of whom had over 40 years' ser\;ice, all getting big increases, all entitled to retire and get the benefit in superannuation.

Mr Massey said that during the absence of Sir Joseph Ward and himself from ..Now Zealand there Avas a board of departmental heads which considered a general basis of salaries for the higher, officials. This board was consulted in regard to _ railway officers' increases. Already, in order to meet the cost of living,, the.Railway" Department had " raised- freights and fares so as to . pay the men increases totalling 3s a day. If the cost of living went up further this would have to be'met, but he believed prices would decline in time. He knew that two branches of the railway service approved- of the proposal to set up a board to investigate working* conditions and wages. It aa;jis impossible to continue the : old system of the men's representatives continually coming to the Department asking for wage increases, therefore the Government was setting up a competent, impartial board to deal with the position. If the board recommended an increase of pay he tvould be prepared to accept it.

Mr Sidey said that ho clearly understood the Prime Minister to say in committee that if a wages increase were granted he would be prepared to make it retrospective. Mr Massey: No. . I said, it then would become a Cabinet^ matter, and I would bo glad to submit it with my recommendation.

Mr S. G. Smith urged the Government to make an immediate increase of pay to the lower-paid raihvaymen until the cost of living declined. , He knew from personal knowledge that there were hundreds of men who could not keep their families on the railway wage. _ _ ;;' Mr Witty expressed the opinion that if the board promised Avere set, up and did its" work properly-.it;-would effect an immense improvement' to existing conditions. f - : ,'

Mr Veitch "declared that a most "unfortunate and rogrettable circumstance was the OA rident fact that the, nianagement had lost the confidence of 'the staff. He contended that the management had been too closely confined to the office and not in sufficiently close touch with the men. After further discussion the report was received.