FREE RAILWAY PASSES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 18 July 1929, Page 8

FREE RAILWAY PASSES.

I REF OEM IN QUEENSLAND. I _ 1 ASTONISHING SYSTE MTO END. I 1 The Queensland 1 Minister of Railways, Air. Morgan, announced lately that some little sacrifice must be made bv railway employees in older that they might- enjoy continuity of employment. A spirit of co-operation was evident among the employees of the department since the advent- of the new Ministry, and it augured well for the development of efficiency. Mr Morgan added: that among the concessions' granted' to (railway employees were ivliat wore known as “emergency passes.” which had bee ninstituted by the late commissioner. Air. Evans, in 1915. It was decided that these passes should he issued in cases of illness, sickness in family or business of an urgent nature. .No restriction was placed on the number issued j to any employee, and this hail led to indiscriminate use of the passes. AVlien the concession was first granted it was intended to meet necessitous circumstances, but it bad developed into n farce. To-day employees desirous of travelling by rail explored every avenue to obtain a, pass. The number of passes issued had grown from a few to a total of approximately 7752. valued at £ 11,000. if based upon ordinary railway fares.. In view of all j these circumstances it had been dc'cided to cancel the concession of emergency passes from .July. Air. Morgan mentioned that approximately 70.00 q passes a year were issued to railway employees under various headings. A total of 881 passes representing £IOOO at ordinary rates, was issued to officers of various railway unions during the last year to enable them to transact union business. These passes would either be. abolished or considerably curtailed.