RAILWAY OFFICERS

Evening Star, Issue 18667, 23 June 1924, Page 4

RAILWAY OFFICERS

THH AIfHUAL CONFERENCE. [Pm United Press Association.] VvERUNOTOX. June 92. Ai. (ho annual cimfcre.nco ol the Hallway Officers’ Institute on Saturday it. was de-r-ill or! to request the department that all instruction books be revised and consolidated, and that anv amendment be supplied in slip 'form suitahie for placing .in its relative position in the. bonk to which it applied. The issue of a. new tariff was another matter which it was claimed demanded immediate attention, the slate ot the-exist-ing tariff being described as a. disgrace, which no commercial concent would tolerate for a moment. The following Invercargill remit was passed That clerks who have to deal with the time ami payment of loco, and Second Division men. owing to (lie difficulties and com plica! ions that, arc constantly increasing with the activities of the N.'F. and C.A., he given a higher sla tus.” At. the request of (he 'Wellington branch if. was decided to urge that, all members he given an opportunity of qualifying in such special work as the "department, deemed essential to lit them for administrative posts. ft was agreed that, members promoted from (be Second Division after passing an examination test should receive an increase in pay of not. less than £2O per year. The following remits from the Wellington branch were carried unanimously : ‘‘That the conference has no confidence in a system of promotion, which provides for ‘special merit,’ in that in theory it sound? right, hut that, in practice it has proved to be a failure wherever fried, and has caused incessant ami unnecessary turmoil and unrest in the service; (hat the conference again takes strong exception to a departure from the principle of the Olassification Act in making promotions by such subterfuges as ‘Order in Council’ or by ‘ Coventor-General ’ to the higher grade.? in the service," The following remit from the Executive Committee was endorsed : That it Iv represented to the department that efficient .and recommended members in grade 7. the lowest grade for clerks, should not he held at the maximum of (Ret grade after the completion of fourteen years’ service, hut should then proceed to the next grade.” AX KFITCTEXT SERVICE. TTTK SOUTH A BURDEN'. AVEUAXCiny. dune 22. A social was held in the evening, and was presided over by Mr 11. W. M Willy i(tenoral Manager). in the course of his remarks, Mr Robertson (president of the in.-'ituw) staled that during the three years and a-hnlt iie had been president, he hail always received everv courtesy at the hands of Mr MWi'lv. When aide to grant their requests Mr MWillv had done so, and when unable to grant, them he had always given reason?. Members ot (.he institute could co-operate with the (Tenoral Manager without, sacrificing their principles in any way.

Mr MTilly slated that after forty-live years’ service he could say that, bavina regard to the policy umler which they were run and the special circumstances created —he did uot make them —ihe railways performed useful server-. In the Xor; is Island, where the principal railway business was, they had a eiianco to rim (bines, and )iad paid £6 10s 6il per cent. The South Island, with level roads and much poor country with a sparse population, had paid £2 2s 6-1 per rent. The South had been a burden to them, and the department, was not responsible. Policy decided where lines should be laid down. If at the end of a rear thins* were bad it was said to be duo to uusinaruunarneut. lie bail received, valuable sunpnrt, and he mentioned Messrs Sie.rlin-z. Unxlrm. and Hevin. What In- had done they ennkl do. Mr APYillv hinted that it would not bp lone ; before he would be retiring'. ’.Mr F-vrliru; said that from (he manager I down they warty all, a management stall. !