RAILWAYMEN'S PAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15265, 1 April 1913, Page 5

RAILWAYMEN'S PAY.

HIGMER RATES FROM TO-DAY. ANNUAL COST OF £45,000. j The increased rates of pay for nnmbers of the railway service, authorised by the Government Railways Amendment Act of hist session, will come into force to-day. The total cost of these, increases for the new financial year- will fee £6410 in the first division of the' service and £59,000 in the* second division. The claims of the railway servants in both divisions were prominently brought under the notice of Parliament during last session, and the position was exhaustively reviewed whan the Government submitted its proposals. The Minister for Railways (the Hon. W. H. Herries) stated that in 1911 a substantial increase was given to the second division. By a resolution of the Cabinet (during the Ward Administration) in January, 1912, the pay of the men getting 8s per day was raised to 9s, an item of, £16,000 being included in the Unauthorised Expenditure Account to provide for the increase from January Ito March 31. A sum of £44,000 was voted on the Estimates to provide the additional shilling per day during the financial year. Which has just ended. Further increases,, amounting to £39,000 for the year, will be made to the wages paid in the second division from to-day. Much dissatisfaction was expressed when it was announced that 'the increases granted to the first division amounted to only £6410 for the year commencing today. ' The Minister explained tliat- this division had not received any increase under the Railways BUI since 1907, and he was doing the best he could. In the second year, the increase under the authority of the Act will be £13,715, in the third year £14,520,. and in the fourth year £14,805. Definite promises were made by Mr. Herries in regard to the first division salaries. "I am quite prepared to go into the whole question again next year,'* he said in the House of Representatives, on October 29. "I hope to be able to considerably increase the salaries, and so bring the first division into line with the Post Office, so long as "the Post Office does not increase still further. When we get a new manager and the new manager's opinion, I am prepared to reopen the schedule from the top to the bottom, and if there are any matters that ought to be adjusted I am prepared to adjust them,'".unless the country is in much a position that it cannot afford large increases." .■■..'''■;';■ '■<•.'■.■". '■■/<■'