MINISTER'S SCHEME

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 11, 12 July 1930, Page 10

MINISTER'S SCHEME

RATIONING WORK

CONFERENCE ON MONDAY

Keen interest has been aroused by the suggestion made yesterday by the Minister of Railways (the lion. W. A. Ycitch) that raihvaymen's organisations should consider the possibility of! introducing a system of rationing work in order to do away with the necessity of dismissing men from the service on the score of economy.

The Minister's proposal, briefly, is that every man in the railway service, from the general mauager downwards, should do a week's work without remuneration. He stated that in this way it might be possible to retain all the men in the service ait full time. As an indication of his sincerity in m'aMing the suggestion, the Minister agreed to withhold until Wednesday nest notices of dismissal which were served earlier this week, and which would have taken effect last night. This action was taken in order to give the raihvaymen's organisations an opportunity of meeting in Wellington to consider the suggestion.

There appears to be some little confusion as to what was actually in the Minister's mind.

The secretary of the Railway Tradesmen's Association (Mr. S. Ingram) stated to-day that be took the proposal to Ijc that every man in the service should go OH' work for ono week without pay.

Against this interpretation, however, it is pointed'out that this would probably prove impracticable in the case of executive officers. However, the whole question is in .the chrysalis stage, and if, is likely that many proposals will be put forward and considered before a final decision is reached. ■'

It was not possible to secure from official sources the amount of money that would be saved if the Minister's suggestion was carried out.

The General Manager of Railways (Mr. H. H. Sterling) stated'to-day that he was not in a position to make a:ny comment regarding the proposal or to give any indication of tho probable saving. That was a matter for the Minister.

However, an estimate based on reliable information is that the amount involved would be between £80,000 and £90,000 per annum.

Tho executives of the four railwaymen's organisations—the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants," the Engine-drivers', Firemen's, and Cleaners' Association, the Railway Officers Institute, and the Railway Tradesmen's Association—have been summoned to Wellington, and on Monday morning there will be a joint Conference to consider the Minister's proposal. It is hoped to be able to reach some conclusion in time to permit of representatives of the conference approaching the Minister of Railways on Tuesday, on his return from the South Island.

'Keen appreciation is expressed ,in Labour circles of the attitude which the Minister adopted at'the deputation yesterday. It is generally conceded that the Minister has shown his sympathy with the railwaymen by making a practical suggestion, which, even if it is not acceptable to the men, has at least provided a basis of discussion. The Minister's decision . to withhold dismissal notices until Wednesday 9 has also been the subject of favourable comment.