RAILWAY GRIEVANCES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 25 June 1912, Page 8

RAILWAY GRIEVANCES.

DISSATISFACTION IN THE

SERVICE

BY TBLEvJEAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION

DUNEDIN, June 24. Considerable dissatisfaction is expressed by railway servants -in regard to classification and other conditions obtaining in the service. A general improvement of the conditions is desired, and the removal of certain anomalies as compared with the Postal and Telegraph Department. In September last a petition was presented to Parliament by the men covering all the grounds of discontent, and this was fully enquired into by the Railways Committee of the House with the result that a report was presented favorable to the requests of the petition. In view of the findings of this committee the men expected the necessary amendments in the regulations and Classification Acts would follow, and though both Mr Millar and Mr Myers have been interviewed by the men on the subject, nothing has yet been done. Prior to the interview with the men Mr Myers was informed by his responsible officers that the annual recurring cost to the Department at the end ot. four years would be over £95 000 but it is contended that this estimate is based on an aggregation of payments over a period of four years. The officers or the institute submitted figures which shoy.ed tbat the very outside cost of giving effect to the proposals would nf^orn a\ annuall-v recurring snm ot £31.960, at the end of four years. Ihe Minister, however, preferred to accept tlie figures of his own officers and would give no satisfactory answer' As no steps have yet been taken in the matter a further deputation from the Raihvay Offers' Institute will wait on Parliament when it meets.