The Railway Employees.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 146, 21 June 1890, Page 8

The Railway Employees.

DEPUTATION TO THE COMMISSIONERS.

THE FINAL INTERVIEW.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Wellington, this day. The Railway Commissioners meb the Railway Employees' Society delegates again this morning. Mr Maxwell reviewed the present regulations regarding feime and pay, remarking that they had now been in force over ton years, and great care had been exercised in drawing them up. * Mr Owen said thaji since he joined the service in 1871, the scale of wages had been reduced greatly, and even during the last ten years it had been cut down. Mr Hoban pointed out that Mr McKerrow had admitted that the eight hoars system could be rightly adhered to without cost, and that was what the Executive wanted. Mr Winter said no doubt great care had been bestowed in drawing up the regulations, but it had all been in one direction, viz., to get the largest amount of work at the smallest possible cost. It was this gradual modulation from the higher to the lower standard that the Executivo objected to. Mr McKerrow said the Commissioners had already made a efcart to limit the supply of boys, and ouly yesterday had refused very urgent requests for more apprentices. Mr Hoban thought the Commissioners' replies were scarcely definite enough on the boy labour question. Would the CommisaioDera undertake not) to engage any more apprentices for a certain period ? i, Mr McKerrow said they could scarcely do that, but they would agree to work the various departments so as ultimately to bring the number down to the proportion required by the Executive. Mr Hoban also objected to the intention of the Commissioners to regulate the supply of cadets in proportion to the whole traffic.holding that a certain class of labour, such as porters, etc., should not be taken into account, as cadets were not trained to become porters. Mr Winter severely criticised the vagueness of the replies given by the Commissioners,and expressed the opinion that they left themselves too many loopholes for escape. Besides, many years might elapse before the proposed alterations could be finally effocted. ' Mr Elvines suggested thab the Commissioners should guarantee not to engage any more hoys for two years. That would have the effect of keeping boy labour down to a fair proportion*. Mr Rotheram did nob think it was practicable to make any such agreement. A guarantee for four years would be much nearer the mark. Mr Elvines : Well, if you cannot do that will you agree to take boys out of shops that are " flooded," and put them in shops that are under the proportion of one boy to three men ? Mr McKerrow thought this a very reasonable requesb, and said the Commissioners would take steps to bare it put into force. After considerable discussion the Commissioners agreed that) after a cadet has served six years ho should, if capable, be promoted to a clerkship, Mr Owen remarked that by Imposing 60 hours on the locomotive men, the Commissioners bad dealt very hard with them. Mr McKerrow explained how the system was an improvement on tho old plan of counting in standing time. Mr Winter said ib was no use arguing the point. The men had determined on 48 hour* and the Commissioners fixed 60 hours, and there the tnatter stood. The delegates were not empowered to .come to a compromise. At one o'clock the Conference adjourned till three. THE CONCESSIONS MADE. The Commissioners have resolved to make tho following material concessions to the demands of the employees :— 1. By restricting boy labour in the chops. / 2.* By giving extra pay for guards 1 overtime. 3. By abandoning the rule which leaves local offices to fix the working time, and by allowing standing time up to three hours at a epell to count for working time in the case of drivers, firemen, guards, without deduction of dinner hour. 4. Restricting excessive hours. 5. Abating piecework as a rule. 6. Raising the ago for cleaners to enter, but they cannot undertake to treat persons engaged.on intermittent services on the same basis as those on continuous work. The latter work on the eight hours system and the former must have their duties regulated according to their services. The adoption of eight hours a day for intermittent workers as suggested, while costing the colony probably £50,000 a year, woald also in'many instances give an employee on the lightest and leasb responsible duty the highest wage.