ECONOMIES IN THE RAILWAY SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21598, 19 March 1932, Page 14

ECONOMIES IN THE RAILWAY SERVICE

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —As further cuts are to be made in railwayman's wages, it may not be out of place at the present time to show what happened after the last slump. During the slump in 1922 all wages and salaries of railwaymen were reduced and, although things improved, the cuts were never restored to the lower paid men, but the officers in the service were all granted large increases. Below are a few examples of salaries from Dunedin only:— 1922. 1931. 1 £ Station master, Dunedin .. 525 615 District traffic manager .. 775 865 Goods agent 525 613 Car and wagon inspector .. 390 425 Workshops manager. Hillside 500 715 Storekeeper, Hillside .. .. 405 470 Chief clerk .. 345 470

The total staff in the manager’s office, Hillside, in 1922 consisted of four clerks and one cadet, and the total salaries were £1175. The employees numbered 560. The staff employed in the office at pressent ■ consists of 10 clerks with total salaries of £3400, while the employees in the shops are 350. Now that the good times are past and revenue is dropping so low, should not these increases be taken away before any further cutg are applied to the lower paid men, who received no increases since 1922? —I am, etc., Second Division. Dunedin, March 17.'