THE RAILWAYS.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18101, 17 June 1924, Page 7

THE RAILWAYS.

IguißY OPENED.

STATES THEIR W : 0 'CASE.

- MW« ASSOCIATION TELZQBAM.) '.?•'.'■ WELLINGTON, June 16. WBbard of Enquiry set up by the |L' o f Bailways (Hon. J. G. mL) to enquire into and make re;?Maations upon the rates, pay, and fejs: of employment in tho Division of the railway service its local sittings at the & Court this morning, fi, Board consists of tho members "into Arbitration Court (Mr Justice Messrs W. Scott and 11. St) M f J - Maßon ( first Assißtant - of Kailways), and Mr S% ;i Mack (secretary of the Amalof Railway Servants). ffßvfo Sterling is conducting tho fjffoithe Railway Department, and M Connelly that for the railway's-' .'• ?|la'evince will bo largely on the Klines as that adduced at the proJ&YtfCgeß enquiry. Although the ml of reference permits the Board (M-at such places as it thinks fit, M' likely that proceedings will be |M% Wellington. The whole of gp&iial 72 demands submitted by ffl',B.B-S- are ulujL ' r consideration, SiSbdifications in some particulars. Spoiling the case for the Society, J&*CtoMi6lly said the whole trend WmMion in New Zealand during EMn, W years had been to reduce gppps; 0 f work and improve, the MdwS of jiving for working men. poSbfbdiro'ta the "Year Book" to lfpsit out : °f 41 trades in New IllfliOi were working 44 hours a lalforiless, 14 were working 48 hours |||&i;and 10 were working botween f||isii&. hours. Tho tendency since M|iad'been to reduce the hours of 'Wss& not to extend them. The fact h a( i sought ;o )';ifaiiwayineu on a longer worksite submitted, was a confesi'lta inability to manage the vproporly, and to run them p&M economically in tho in-if'-tKe people of the Dominion. jaVtinent had a monopoly of transport, and it did not pay dividends to shareholders, ifliieily went on to deal separth the three branches of railik in workshops, traffic, and pee offices. Tho workshops intfld a 44-hour week in 1 918, ars before tho other members lorvice. That was an iudicaI'lpjliat the Department recognised SMilfeconditions of the workshop* men r||gWct]y the same as those obtaining tfflSwythe railway service. The hours New Zealand railwaymen pBMWd moat unfavourably with those fffpttftg in thß Australian service, 'iSvtrttdpß outside the service. In all overtime work done ifPIJB of hours" specified in awards |§f||dVjas overtime, which was paid of time and a-half for i|§|fc;four hours, and; double time l||fflofaelly said the railway' super-fffllpn-scheme was regarded by the fi|lfV curse, not as a privilege, and jiwiflV chiefly to employees who were |||ppt'.-pf a higher salary. The gEblt -"^■ Society was that the week, which hitherto |^Mie|-ih tho (railway service, 9m||s ;roßtored without any reducHllSpg'Sado in the present weekly Case. opened the Department's flffl|by fcongratulating M? Connolly of his side of the had- been put clearly without recrimination, lliflpe \ Society asked was the reWgßw^iOt the 44-hour week at the fflfflpvee'kly,; rates of pay;: This was the basic wage,' cost about #240,000 and there would | ffiKiwjjM increase of £850,000. Mr I Ki^^'' flaid ■ tliat tll ° "icrease in wus 62 per Cent, last per hour in 1914 at a 62' per cent. S)t*|jriild now be Is 9.89 d, or £4 men were now get||^P|p);:'Bo there was little ditt'ertwo amounts. The the whole of the railMBpphniDli was £145. Last : £238, au increase of 64 per ■'.. the present matter J |HPa''|'Cbmplicatioii3 arising from 1 he contended that all they were en- * ffira^(P Department was anxi; | he;.tinen should have a fair but opinions differwas a fair standard. He the railwaymen got &gs&t4i% g re nt er , wage than other : earners, they could not be too little. Tho the railway service was houry and the latest Arbitration Court was Is That outside rate is tho |ii|pt ;; Labourers are getting 2a bver. I am quite aware that fluctuations outside.. But i's not that railway *Wss maximum? Ilpterling: I will come to that. g||PJ»B/Baid, he to, show jsM%rman outside was not better wSsfa- the railwayman. ||i|pissrtty of Employment. llsMj'ridlwayman was relieved of two of the man outside: fear of yaiMjoyftient not being permanent, Hli' Of an indigent old age. That "MBfiiili 6 ' than a suffic i ßnt ' o ffset to I|BKptt .increase in pay outside men occasionally. The extent to higher rate was paid outconsiderably, according »l|*roßperity of the times; The, ISgi|fl&iln - had his superannuation, what Mr Connelly had BftW'a privilege, and an extremely |§J3M|£one. Last year the Govern-|MA-«ontrlbution was £125,000, and woul d not less - MoreOovornmcnt stood behind tho ffltWil guaranteed it, so that the llajkfjWUions were absolutely secured. fwsi absolutely wrong to say that jlfgKW* c wage worker made the same lllgltatloti to superannuation as the ||Kp|pMd man. aEfcwnelly: The general manager I|gj|Mi superannuation of £IBOO a said a man who came Jmitf scheme nfter 1909 might ba s liStt e k fls * 3 of a £ 700 pension a £3OO pension. ||||Polmelly: The basic wage worker 'M|||to» 0r cl to make his payment. |^Kff r ?sident: It is a percentage llwmtf ae hy : Our men are on l|p!B?i| Wage. Other men are not on |||s|: Bervice Privileges. n g» Mr Sterling said he had eß«£»ui * n ono vear mcn C°* i™ SSGS tickets to the value of '*' re vou P re P ar ed to conl^p?,lrT1Il! he was not there

to commit the Department. The subject had not been raised in the claims. He said that 25 per cent, of the men were provided with houses by the Department, and the average rent was 8s a week. In no case did a man pay more than a day's wage for his house. If the Department were a private landlord, it could get twice as much for the houses. Many of the later houses were very up-to-date. In one recent year £19,600 had been spent on uniforms. This amount was saved to the men. These things placed railwaymen in an advantageous position in comparison with men outside. He did not think the education test was a hardship in a country where education was free, and he thought a medical test was necessary in such a service He waß entitled to claim that a case had not been made out for an increase in pay, as railwaymen were now getting more than the Arbitration Court's basic rate, and in addition enjoyed the privileges he had mentioned. In comparison with other railway services, the rate paid to workers in the New Zealand service was very favourable. The hearing will be resumed to-mor-row.

OFFICIAL CLAIMS.

ELIMINATION OF SPECIAL RATES.

(PRESS association teleobam.) WELLINGTON, June 16. The Railway Department has prepared a number of counter-claims for presentation to the Board of Enquiry, of which the following is a summary:— The elimination of the payment of special rates for night work in the traffic branch which does not come within overtime hours. The elimination of the provision for rate and a-half payment to maintenance men between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Ordinary time worked in locomotivo workshops between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. to be paid for'at ordinary rates. Time worked on Sunday, as part of the ordinary working week, also to be paid for at ordinary rates. Double rate payment on the Sovereign's Birthday, Labour Day, Good Friday, and Christmas Day to be regarded as sufficient remuneration, and the practice of adding to the annual leave discontinued. The special allowance paid to horsedrivers in shunting duties to be discontinued. The maximum proportion of apprentices to journeymen- in the workshops to be increased.

THE 48-HOUR WEEK.

MOTION BY COUNCIL OP CHRISTIAN CONGREGATIONS

"The Council of Christian Congregations regrets that the Government anticipated the findings of the Commission now appointed for tho settlement of the railway dispute by imposing tho 48-hour week upon the men. Since the 48-hour week was an item of the dispute, and./ ; since it was generally understood that the dispute was to be adjusted by the Commission, the Council believes that the action of the' fjovernment was unwise and not calculated to secure that all-round-con-tentment which is necessary to good work.".- Such was the motion moved by the Bev. S, La wry at the meeting of the Council, of Christian Congregations last .evening. ... ■'.' Ho- explained- that the railwaymen had communicated with the Council, drawing attention to the fact that the Government had impqsed the 48-hour week. : Mr L. J. Archibold, in seconding the motion, said he thought it was a matl ter of bad taste on the Government's part. TLv chairman (Archbishop Julius) said it would be impertinent on the part of ' the Council, to djscuss the matter as it was sub judice. However» the Council was in its rights in commenting on. the fact that the Government had anticipated the work of the Commission by insisting on tho 48-hour week. .. The motion was carried without further comment.