RAILWAYMEN.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16816, 23 April 1920, Page 6

RAILWAYMEN.

$ I PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY TO i' SOCIETIES. f; ' j COMMISSION TO BE SET UP. (rr.Ess association teleoham.) WELLINGTON, April 22. i.'io Prime Minister, in .1 letter to j luo representations made at the recent .ntcrviews regarding remuneration, s-ays ..lie mutter has been carefully considered, ana it is proposed by tlio Govein- ' lucut thai Mr Justice -Miniver's rccoainiendatious shad operate until J line Ist aext, and that a new Commission v. ;ii ..■en be constituted 10 inquire whether .. 11 v increase has occurred in tne cost of ivmg btuweeu January Ist, IV-D. and • Jane Ist, and report as to wuat bonus, Li i'hy, should be granted in addition 'O tue present scalo ot roiiuineraiK..!. -tie lvi/crt wiil taiie eii'ect iroia June ! jsL lor six montiis lucreatter, ana the | sv;.:e of reiuunenition will be subject I to ievie\v bv tlio new Commission \\lt.l ■ reference 10 the cost of living and so [ n. at sncn intervals as the Go\em.;eiit may determine until mid unless " .'ariiament othcrwiso provides. 1 The Commission proposed will con- > sist. of two .Stipendiary Magistrates, who wiil be assisted by advisory assessors nominated by each of the tniee railway societies, who must be mcmbeis oi' the' service, and also by an advisory assessor nominated by tlio Department. The general secretary of the Amalga- , mated "Society of Railway Servants (.Mr M. J. Mack) expressed the following opinion regarding the Prune s reply to the representations lecently made: — ~ , I reoret to say that our president s previous statement that the conference was abortive is quite true. It is quito evident that the Government are not taking the representations on behalf o. the men seriously. Our peace,til and repeated negotiations are being l egal tied as a sign of weakness, and I tlimk a olircax is at hand. I feel sure that the men will never accept the Commission proposed. We wiil not again be placed in a false position with regard to assessors and a restricted order of reference. So far as wages aro concerned tho Minister lias admitted tlu.t tlie men are entitled to he placed in the same relative position that they were before tho war. Ho admits that the increased cost of living is G2 per cent. We are prepared to accept that as tho basis of settlement so far as tho wages are concerned, but the working conditions must be improved. I am lodging with tho Minister a leo-al claim under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, tho Prime Minister s own Act, designed for the settlement of such disputes. In the meantime I do hope that the men will not take matters into their own hands, although thev now liava good and sufficient reasons for doing so. THE MEN'S ATTITUDE. (PRESS iSSODIATIOST TELEGRAM.) "WELLINGTON, April 22 % Mr Mack, secretary of the A.S.R--S-, when asked his' opinion on the reply of Mr Massey as Miuis.er of Railways, said the Government was merely trifling with the whole position. Men had been going from the service, and were still coin"'. The service was in a deplorable condition. He did not know how tho men would take the reply. • The storm, he said, might burst at any time. The A.S.R.S. have filed with the Minister of Railways notice of a dispute i with the management of tho sorvice uni der the Labour Disputes Investigation ! Act, and the Society's intention is to I demand an investigation of the dispute by a committee of representatives of I the two parties to the dispute. _In f their demands the A.S.R.S. aro asking for an all-round increase in pay of -s

6d per day. AUCKLAND VIEWS. (special to "the press.") AUCKLAND, April 22. An official of the Railway Officers' Institute. who -was interviewed to-day, stated that the decision of the Prim© Minister would cause profound disappointment. Not having had an opportunity of ascertaining the feel in" or tno local officials of tlie Institute, lie could say little further, except that the position regarding the claims made was, in liis opinion, merely a question of simpler fact regarding the actual cost of living and its relation to railway rates of wages. The railway staff, ho stated, were very loyal citizens, and would make no objection to bearing, as such, their full share of the war burden an the form of taxation. The feeling was, however, unanimous against any agreement "with the substantial reduction in actual incomo represented by the current rates of pay. The Premier's reply has come as a great surprise to members of the E.F.C.A. and A.S.R.S. An official of tho former organisation states that a Commission would not be acceptable ; as already a similar Commission had failed to adjust matters. This same official had something to say regarding the fate of an application submitted to the Department on behalf of grand councillors of the A.S.R.S. for leavo to go to Wellington for the purpose of being present when the Prime Minister delivered his rep'y. Despite tho fact that the grand councillors lind previously obtained leave and met in "Wellington, on this last occasion the request wac refused, although there are only about five errand councillors in tho whole of tho North Island. The E.F.C.A. will now await instructions from the executive in "Wellington. Whatever action was taken, it would como from "Wellington, as it would take some little, time before a meeting of the Auckland branch of the E.F.C.A. could be called.