RAILWAY OFFICERS’ INSTITUTE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 28 June 1926, Page 5

RAILWAY OFFICERS’ INSTITUTE

“ SALARIES DISCUSSED (United Prear'AasociatlOn.) This Day. The Railway Officers’ Institute Conference discussed salaries, urging increaser commensurate with the onerous nature of the duties,' and that steps be taken through regrading of several stations’ 1 ' to facilitate promotion in the lower grades. - ... Speaking at a smoke concert to delegates of the Railway Officers’ Institute, the Prime Minister referred jo the delay in the publication of D 3 (classification oE officers’ department). Its detention was not in a way any fault of the Railway Board,, for it had been .a week or ten days in his hands as Minister of of Railways,; and . while he had every confidence in MifJones'' and his board, he did want to thoroughly understand the rectification before he “O-K’d” it, 'and therefore, he hoped they would overlook the slight delay in its production. Next time he hoped to have it out early in the year, so that they could look forward' to a welcome change. In regard to regrading authorised -by the legislation of last year, that would not be found in D 3, but in next year’s edition. Whatever its merits or demerits were, for the matter was being considered not only by the board but also by other officials, and would be the nearest to the merit system that could be adopted, he could not lay too much stress on the necessity for training young officers, and at least four young men should be sent abroad annually to train by exchange or otherwise on other railway systems, so that they could serve the dominion more efficiently when they returned. Senior men would leave the service when their turn came, so that everything should be done to educate officers to efficiently fill their places. His desire was not only to prevent the service becoming insular or circumscribed in its outlook, but to procure a better railway system. He also urged the board to fix ‘a regular time to meet and discuss problems with members of the different departments.