RAILWAY OFFICERS’ INSTITUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19205, 23 June 1924, Page 8

RAILWAY OFFICERS’ INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE (Peb United Peess Association.) WELLINGTON, June 22. At the annual conference of the Railway Officers' Institute on Saturday it was decided to request the department that all instruction books be revised and consolidated and that any amendment be supplied m slip form suitable for placing in its relative position in the book to which, it applied. The issuo of a new tariff was another matter which it was claimed demanded immediate attention, the state of the existing tariff being described as a disgrace, which no commercial concern would tolerate for a moment. The following Invercargill remit was passed—“ That clerks who have to deal with the time and payment of loco, and Second Division men, owing to the difficulties and complications that are constantly increasing with the activities of the E.F and C.A., be given a higher status.” At the request of the Wellington branch it was decided to urge that all members ne given an opportunity of qualifying in such special work as the department "deemed essential to tit them for administrative Imsls. ft was agreed that members promoted trom the Second Division after passing an examination test should receive an increase ln r pay of not less than £2O per year. The following remits from the Wellington branch were carried unanimously:— "That the conference has no confidence in a system of promotion which provide? for 'special merit’ in that in theory it sounds right, but that in practice it has proved to tie a failure wherever tried, and has caused incessant and uhnecessary turmoil and unrest in the service; that the conference again takes strong exception to a departure from the principle of the Classification Act in making promotions by such subterfuges as ‘Ordor-in-Council’ cr by ‘Governor-General* to the higher grades iii the service.” ,’nio following remit from the Exeentive Committee was endorsed‘‘That it bo represented to the department that efficient and recommended members in grade 7 the lowest grade for clerks, should not be’held at the maximum of that grade after the completion of 14 years’ service, hut should then proceed to the next grade.” SOCIAL GATHERING. SPEECH BY MR M’VILLY. (Per United Press Association.) . WELLINGTON, June 22. A. social was held in the evening* and was presided over by Mr R. W" SUViliv (General Manager). " la tiie course of hi s remarks Air Robertson (president of the institute) stated that during the three years and a-hnlf for which he had been president he had always received every courtesy at, the hands of Air VrVdly. When able to grant their requests Air M'Villy bad done so, and when unable to grant them ho had always given reasons. Members of the institute could co-operate with the General Manager without, sacrificing their principles in any wav. Mr M'Viliy stated that after 45' years’ service he could say that, having regard to the policy under which they were "run, and the special circumstances created—-he did not make (hem—the railways performed useful service" in spite of mismanagement. The North Island, where (he principal railway business was, they had a chance to run things, and had paid £6 10s fid per cent. Iho South Island, with level roads and much poor country with a spars® population, had paid £2 2s 6d per cent. The south had been a burden to them, and the department was not responsible. Policy decided where lines should be laid down. If at (ho end of a year things were bad it was said to te mismanagement. H e had received valuable support, mentioning Messrs Sterling, Buxton, and Bovin, What ho hart done they could do. Mr M'Villy hinted that it would not bo long before he would be retiring. Mr Sterling said that from the manager down they were all a management staff.