CONCERN AT RUMOURS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20563, 14 May 1930, Page 9

CONCERN AT RUMOURS.

SENIOR RAILWAY OFFICERS.:

ORGANISATION OF SERVICE.

FEARS FOR PROSPECTS.

[nv TELEGRAPH. —OWN correspondent. J CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday.

Senior railway officers throughout the Dominion are showing some anxiety as to tho future in view of persistent .rumours of reorganisation in tho service. Nothing very definite is known to the great majority, but fears exist that an effort will be made to reduce costs by eliminating some of the senior positions. At present three important positions are vacant, or are soon likely to be vacant, in the South Island. These are the positions of outdoor assistant-traffic manager at Christchurch, stationmaster at Dunedin and stationmaster at Christchurch. Tho laefi rained position will be vacant within a week or so, when the present stationmaster, Mr. H. D. Lo'.viv, retires on superannuation. It is generally known that some timo ago the senior officers of tho service were being reclassified. No advice lias been received locally, as far as can be ascertained, of the result of this classification, but there is a feeling of uneasiness that somo of these senior positions will bo eliminated, and that officers who would be likely to recei".? promotion in the ordinary course of events will remain in their present positions. The sense of uneasiness has not been relieved by tho announcement of the Minister of Railways that tho full summer service will be retained throughout tha winter. This means, it is felt, that tho revenue in the South Island, at any rate, will not balance with tho additional expenditure, and that an effort might .be made to cut these losses by reducing staff costs.

GENERAL MANAGER'S DENTAL.

NO DECISION REACHED. . [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. When the general manager of railways, Mr. H. 11. Sterling, was interviewed concerning a message from Christchujch that railway servants are uneasy because certain senior positions are not being filled, ho declined to make any declaring that there was no foundation lor such a canard, as no decision had been reached.

The rumour has probably arisen as a result of a general outline given by Mr.Sterling in his report to Parliament last session, of means by which lie believed divisional control could be further developed, and his statement that concrete pioposals in connection with reorganisation changes would be worked out.during the corning year.

It is understood that those proposals have not yet been advanced to the stage of a definite decision being reached and that they aro still under consideration.