RAILWAYMEN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 17 June 1924, Page 11

RAILWAYMEN.

SITTING OF INQUIRY BOARD. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.I WELLINGTON, June 17. The Railway Wages Inquiry Board continued its sitting to-day. Mr. Sterling, for the department, concluded hi® remarks upon wages. He argued that in the present case> it was not a question of cutting wages, but of adjustment in accordance with the fluctuations in the cost of living. On the question of hours, Mr. Sterling said that previously the men received overtime payment for time worked in excess of the eight hours day, and also in excess of a 44 hours week, notwithstanding whether they had already received overtime for any one day. It did not necessarily mean that a man had toi work 44 hours on the flat rate before he received overtime. He did not think the department would be justified in incurring an extra expenditure of £250,000 a, year out of the public purse in order to meet the demands of the society. He challenged the railwaymen to instance any other workers who had an eight-hour day and a 44-hour week i.n operation together. The trend of hours in Australia, Britain, and other countries was also in the direction of a 48-hour week. Mr. Sterling handed in a return showing that although the train mileage, in relation to the number of men employed had decreased since 1914 by 3.16 per cent., the. wages expenditure had increased by 80.12 per cent. He considered the train mileage was the best indication of the work performed in the various branches of the department.