CLASSIFICATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 305, 18 September 1908, Page 8

CLASSIFICATION.

♦ . THE RAILWAY SERVICE. A DEFERRED LIST. [Contributed.] In roading the report on the Parliamentary proceedings in the issue of The Dominion dated September 3, it is quito evident that the railway servants can get 110 information whatever as to what their status is under the Classification Act passed last session, and wo arc thus forced to take up an antagonistic position to the Department by publicly oxposing the way in which wo are treat-ed. Seeing that tho information asked for shoul'j have been available months ago, surely we are at least entitled to know how tho Act will affect tho present members of tho service, but this no doubt the, management themselves have only recently decided upon, as it is the manner in which the Act can bo reduced to its narrowest possible limits that has caused all the comp.ication. On perusal of the Act it will be seen that it is only reasonable that a man with say, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 years' service, would expect to receive from April 1 the rat-o of pay shown in the Act for that number of years' service (whereas it is stated 011 most reliable information that such will not be so), and that, for instance, a man with at present 12 years' service, and receiving £160, will go to £180 on April 1 (though lie may be duo for increase on May 1 ordinarily to £170 under the old Act), whereas the rate shown in tho new Act shows that a man with that number of years' service should receive £200. Why should a man who has already worked 12 years and come along at a much slower rate than a man will under the new Act not receive the rate of pay under the new Act for the same service? Again it was recognised that tho men with from S to 12 years' service were receiving too little, and under tho new Act their salaries were consequently considerably increased to cope with tho extra cost of living, otc., but apparently in framing the new Act as at present interpreted it was so framed from tho Department's view to meet tho requirements of the future, and the conditions of the present workers were not to bo ameliorated at all. It is admitted that there will bo considerable dissatisfaction when the D-3 is published, and this is undoubtedly the reason for its delay: tho matter of the casual hand with five years' service is merely a bogey, as these men will all go in the list together in one place, and if this is to delay the publication of the list it is a grave reflection on the capabilities of those t compiling tho same,; as this will entail the enormous amount of work of finding out how many havo been employed for five years and their seniority, which can be ascertained easily within a fortnight at tho most. Another serious objection to tho Department's method of working the new Act is that many members will suffer an injustice inasmuch as other members with junior servico will receive the same rate of pay; for instanco, members at present receiving £140 and £150 may each receive £165 on April 1, though one may have a year's longer service. The same with a couple of other groups. Whereas if a man was placed 011 the £200 mark, and tho overlapping took placo, there no injustice would bo done, as £200 is tho top of tho. grade, and a man must wait there for promotion, when he would again go ahead of thoso who havo caught up to Rim, provided he is eligible, but at the intermediate stage this overlapping may bo objectionable. It was understood that service under the old Act would count for payment of salary under the Act of 1907. The Minister's reply to Mr. Wood's question settles all doubt on this point, and servico will not be counted.

Under tho provious Classification Acts cadets received schedule rate of pay from April 1 (date of Act coming into operation), and also increase under tho schedule as from date of last annual increase (the wording of tho Acts is identical). Tims a fourth year cad6t would advanco to £95 on April 1, aiid, if next increase dated from July, would further advance to £110 in July. It is understood this system will not bo followed out under the present Act, because it will mean giving tho junior clerks an increase to keep ahead of the senior cadets, and what applies in the case of cadets applies right through the tenth grade. Considerable saving of money is thus effected, and considerable convenience and saving of work in tho head office. It will bo contended by tho Minister that to Rive increases as stated will entail aft enormous sum of money, but would he point out where tho £130,000, which ho stated would be involved when the Bill was before the llouso last session, will come in, not forgetting the £60,000 for tho sixpence allowance to second division men, which docs not enter the question, as this had been granted tho previous year, and only made a permanent vote juicier the present Bill? The enormous sum of money for increases would of course not be felt if it wero to be spent in interlocking tho Kaiwarra station yard, as no doubt this branch of tho service has considerably swelled the expenses of tho Department, out of all proportion, and beyond-the apprehension ■of many. Instead of tho responsible officers endeavouring to foster contentment and gain tho respect and co-operation of the railway servants,_ thoy are doing the cxact opposite, as anything relating to staff matters is very unfavourably received, and everything ha's to bo fought out with those officers, and the spirit which must prevail throughout the service can readily bo seen, as in theso matters tho staff cannot bo said to have any confidence whatever in the management. Last, but not least, it should bo mentioned that under the new Bill the chief clerk received an increase of £200, and good caro was taken to havo tho matter specially gazetted, and thus enable him to get his first £100 increase from April in April last. On.tho other hand, all other members, who might ordinarily get increases from April last, are still anxiously waiting, excopt, of course, that good caro was taken to advertise and inform new applicants for cadetships that they would get tho rate of pay under tho new Act, as otherwise applications would havo been very sCarge. In fact, it was well known that tho new Act was framed to entice young persons into the service. STATEMENT IN REPLY. A Departmental reply to the above statements was sought yesterday. It was stated, on behalf of tho Department, that tho whole argument lof tho article was that the' disabilities which existed under the scales of pay previously in operation, under which it took a much longer time to attain to a certain salary, should be wipcti out by tho scalo that will come into operation perhaps ten years after the disabilities were caused. For instance, under the old scalo it took a cadet six years to get a salary of £100; under tho now scale he will get £110 ,in five years. According to our contributor, it was urged, tho Department should go back ten or fifteen years to apply the new scalo to tho men who joined at that timo under the old conditions. _ It was impossiblo for this to bo done. With regard to tho deferred appearance of the classification scheme, it was stated that apparently our correspondent did not properly conceive the magnitude of tho task involved. The wages of 12,000 servants of tho Department are concerned, and often from 500 to 600 transfers require to bo mado within two or throo months. In making these transfers a large number of considerations of personal fitness, family ties, and other matters must bo taken into account. Tho relative importance of different posts and stations alters with tho development of the service, and this must also bo considered when questions of salary or promotion arise. It was also urged that our correspondent had apparently overlooked tho fact that for years past it has beon the practice for men to receive increase of wages in fclio form of back pay, so that the lato appearanco of tho classification scheme need not afFcct tho date from which increases may bo received.