"WHO IS TO BLAME?"

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1070, 8 March 1911, Page 5

"WHO IS TO BLAME?"

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT CRITICISED, ALLEGED WAGES-PARING POLICY. A particularly outspoken appears in the leading columns of the "Muw Zealand Kailway Officers' Advocate" to hand yesterday under the title, "Who is to Blame!'" The article in ruicstion says:

"Tho Uailway Department is steadily pursuiug the unfair and unwarranted wages-paring policy, to which we directed our readers' attention in the leading column of our i'sno of March 1, 1010. Every little wliilo the value of some position is reduced, and it is difficult mdesd to say where this thing, will stop. One of the'latest actions of the Department has been, we understand, to reduce tho position of car and wagui inspector at Duncdin from the .seventh to the ninth gnub. About twelve months ago nu exactly similar thing happened respect to the car and wagon inspector's position at Wellington. The combined oflcct is that six men who have been patiently waiting for their next step for years havo been debarred from receiving their justlyearned promotion, tho saving to the Department being .€.15 for the first. ,£75 for tho second, ,£9O for the third, and JCIOO for the fourth and each succeeding year thereafter, or an averaw of ,CIG 13?. 4d. per man p:r annum. The work and usponsibiliry attaching to the position of ear and wagon inspector is steadily increasing, ns'a glance- at the last Hallway Statement will show. During (he year ended March 31, 1010, 24 cars, 12 brakevans and 7H3 w.igon« were added to stock. Under construction (here were f>2 ears, 18 brake-vans; and 1259 wagons, the majority of which are no doubt now in com-'ii'is-ion. F.vory additional vehicle brought ' into use in lus district nwans, «f course, extra work for tin? injector. The stead-ily-increasing trallie, brings with it the need for more froqiipnl. repairs, necawitntiiid a elosrr daily watch being kept on tho vehicles, and a Inrrrer percentage of the rolling-stock sent to the shops for overhaul.' Tn the envnmstnnc(-=. the ordinary individual would imagine that, instead of onllin? fer a reduction in value, the incrc.wl work and rc-spcnsibility of thps-3 positions would nt least entitle their new opp.upii't* to receive o snlnrv commensurate with tliat enjoyed by their predecessors." ■ _ ' In another place it is recorded that, "the exact nunibrr of ivsicinnticiis, elc, during (■he year it lint oWniunble. but a «m«rvnlive estimate rnndp from the moaTC in. formation available ptaocs the number at between 750 nnd ?00. For three months, ciided Novenib"; , !>s last, thnr'; wn> 2") resignation,; in tho AV^nganui , district nlone. ov enual to 100 for the year for this small district."

"If (concludes (ho article) the resignations from the eerviw maintiin their present vat", it will be only- 0 few years before linlf the ?-hff consists of inniors, with hut n limited oxp-nMMic" of railway work. Tho deninr.YMo effect this must have on the nondiipf- of (he )>nnrr.irenr's lmrk c.in be better imapinnd than described."