RAILWAY ECONOMIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17955, 3 December 1921, Page 8

RAILWAY ECONOMIES.

o- . . QUESTION OF SALARIES. SUGGESTED AT TERNATIVER' [BI TELKCBAFU.—PRESS ASSOCUTIOS,] WELLINGTON, Frtd»y. The members of the New Zealand Railway Officers' Institute ar<, cow considering •ways and means of meeting the department's desire for economy in the railway service, as the result of the announcemen' of the general manager that the serrice.Bas being run at a loss. In a circular issued to branches of the institute, it is ported out that the concessions gained under.the conciliation agreement have all been embodied in the proposed new regulations. These will therefore automatically secuie members the rights under the agreement, so far as service conditions are concerned, "Knowing then," adds the circular, "that the railway revenue is insufficient to meet, working expenses, that the cost of?living' has decreased 6 per cent, since the conciS: tion agreement was made "and Mtt Government has announced that-it'ii intended to reduce wages arid salaries in ftj public service, what do you consider ehould be done?" In order that a concrete expwssionvo! opinion may be obtained from tils whole of the membership <>f the institute* tie following issues have been placed before members:—(l) Would you agree to .the improvement in service conditions (vit, shorter houra, improved payment for Sundav duty, special pay for Christinas Day and Good Friday duty, etc.) embodied in the conciliation .agreement being suspended for a definite period (say sue months); in order to retain the. present scale of salaries (21, as apparently some form of retrenchment cannot be avoided, would you agree to a rateable reduction in salaries in preference to having the present service conditions interfered with $ (3).d0 you consider that the institute should.dfr. dine *o accept, both the foregoing jfropositions? A ballot on the proposals is now-being \ taken T>v the various branches of Um institute. The Executive Committee has gone exhaustively into the qresiion, and while not desiring to dictate to members considers the institute should endeavour torfr tnin the present salaries, even if it means suspending the operation of the conciliation agreement for a time.