THE RAILWAYMEN

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 93, 20 April 1920, Page 8

THE RAILWAYMEN

GOVERNMENT'S REPLY BEING

AWAITED,

The railway men are anxiously awaiting the reply of tho Government to tho reeoht. interviews with the Minister of ;Railwa-yß\J[Righfc Hon. :\W F. Maaiey) regarding .-.-tho, dissatisfaction caused by Mr.'Justice;Stringer's report. As far as ; tho. A.;S:RVS.:and the locomotive men are concerned, the reply is expected to-mor-row.. 1 .while tHo":official. reply to. the Offi■oere'- Institute is expected later. There is ■ a,feeling. in ; 'Bpmo. quarters that the Gov■vorirtnent! will.,be propared to make slight concessions^' :and--in the meantime the various societies .ate holding their hands.

It is reported that the interview which the representatives of the First Division had" with'the"-Minister last week was of ;a"', particularly ;friendly nature. The chief ..point, made in_a general discussion "of. the. salaries of "oincors centred round tho-mcreaacd^cost'of living. It was pointed out thai even if the Government went back.",,ay par. J it. would bo found that the cost/of ■'• living ■ had increased by 13 per cent.'*,', whereas the increase in salaries pror.ppsed ,b}' r,;Mr. Justice Stringer was only s'.perj-cerit. Then again, if the Governments compared the- present salaries, including 'the recent bonus, with the prewar figure the increase sJiown would be 27 per cent, as'-against an actual increase in the cost of living—based on the three food groups . only—of 60 per cent. Tlio Officers' .Institute sees justice in its claim for pre-war values.