THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1163, 15 June 1894, Page 42

THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

The Eailway Commissioners, with a view of reducing expenditure, consequent upon the falling off in the grain traflic, have decided upon putting all the railway workshops in the Colony— not merely the locomotive workshops, as stated by a contemporary —upon a five days' working week. This new rule takes effect from to-day, Saturday to be a non-working day. Nearly a thousand men will be affected. Something like 200 men are employed in each of the four principal workshops, at Hillside, Addington, Petone and Newmarket respectively, and about 150 or nearly 200 more are distributed amongst the workshops at other places. The reduction will be at the rate of one-sixth of the wages paid at present, and the saving effected thereby is computed at .£IOOO a month. Later.

In addition to the above, the Railway Commissioners have made a number of changes in the management staff of the locomotive and maintenance branches. Mr A. V. Macdonald, who has been locomotive engineer in charge on the Hurunui-Bluff section, is to take charge at Auckland, and his place will not be filled, the duties being carried on by the present divisional officers at Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill, under supervision from the head office. Mr Jackson, locomotive engineer at Auckland, comes to Wellington to assist the locomotive superintendent in this and in the oversight of the Wellington section; Mr Beattie, the present locomotive engineer, going to Wanganui, where he will continue to have charge of the Napier-Taranaki section. On the Auckland section Mr C. E. Richardson, locomotive foreman, is replaced by Mr W. Owen. On the HurunuiBluff section, Messrs A. Blackmore, locomotive foreman, Christchurch, and R. Hargreaves, car and waggon inspector, Invercargill, retire on compensation, the former being succeeded by Mr J. Dickenson, at present locomotive inspector. Mr Yerdon, the locomotive foreman at Timaru, resumes his former position of leading driver. Mr Nevvham, locomotive foreman, Wellington, also retires on compensation, and is succeeded by Mr Hunter, now locomotive foreman at Wanganui. The workshop foremen at East Town, Mr Sewell, and at Petone, Mr W. A. Palmer, exchange places.

Consequent on these alterations a large number of changes have been made also in the clerical staff and among the cadets, seven of the latter being transferred to the traffic branch. Mr Seager, clerk at East Town, is transferred to Auckland; Mr Parson, clerk at Petone, to East Town ; Mr Palmer, clerk head office, to Napier; Mr Ellis, clerk, Addington, to locomotive foreman's office, Wellington ; Mr Boyes, locomotive superintendent's office, Wellington, to locomotive foreman's office, Dunedin; and Mr Caygill, locomotive enginner's office, Addington, to head office, Wellington.

In the maintenance branch the control of the Wellington section will for the future bo in charge of the head office, Mr F. W.

Maclean, Resident Engineer for tho Wel-lington-Napier line, taking up tho combined duties of engineer and chief clerk, and Mr T. S. Henderson, tho present chief clerk, going to Wanganui. The Napier line will be added to tho Foxton-Now Plymouth section, under tho charge of Mr J. I. Lawson. Messrs Oudaillo and R. Brown, district clerk? at Wellington and Invercargill, retire on compensation, and are succeeded by Messrs Ridler and McMaster respectively. Messrs Angus and Bonzoni are transferred to the Auckland and Invercargill district offices. The practical effect of these and other minor changes will be a saving of about JMOOO in administrative expenses.