CASUAL RAILWAY LABOUR

Otago Witness, Volume 02, Issue 2420, 2 August 1900, Page 32

CASUAL RAILWAY LABOUR

ilr Buddo 10-day asked the Minister of Railways why ca&ual labourers il country railway stotions are not paid the ruling wagerf in the district, seeing that their duties are often heavier than those of casual labourers at rown stations, and can the Minister tec his way to increase these labourers' y/ajjes -to ajaaujnts gquaj. to tke r_atp3 rafetS

in the district in which they are employed? Mr Ward said he could not authorise a higher rate of wages for casual hands em- ■ ployed by the day than was provided for by statute for permanent employees. If such were done it would lead to discontent on the part of permanent hands. He hoped, I however, to be able to adopt a uniform rate . of Is per hour for casual labourers throughout the colony.

THE GOVERNOR'S SALARY. In the course of his speech on the Gover- , nor's Salary and Allowances Bill, the Premier ' Faid he believed the Australian Common- | wealth would probably pay the Governor-; general what would be equivalent to £12,000 or £15,000 a-year. The Governor of Now , Zealand would also be a Governor-general, j and this would exalt the position of New Zea- ! land and of the Governor. He (Mr Seddon) ' was looking to the_ increased responsibility ! as far as> New Ze?land was concerned. In- i creased responsibility had already been cast • upon the Governor, for by the consent of j Parliament the Cook Group was now prac- ; tically controlled by the Government of New Zealand. The responsibility was a proper one for the colony to take, and he was only j sorry that other places were not under tho j same conditions. It would have been a good j thing for our colony, not only to-day, but in ; the years to come. As soon as the Premier ' bad eat down, the rumours regarding- the dif- j ferences of opinion at the recent Government caucuses in connection with the proposed all- j round increase of salaries were confirmed by opposition from amoiig the Ministerial ranks-, j Mr M'Lachlan led off in his iisual rough and ready style, objecting strongly to the increase ! in his Excellency's palary. This was not surprising, but it was surprising to find Mr Monk backing up the member for Ashburton, and Mr Monk's friends were more than surprised when he spoke of the Governor's position as being merely a conventional one, and also re- > ferred to his Excellency as a mere figurehead and an. official automaton. This &ort of talk was. certainly notdfcKicci.ed from the member for Waitemita, a:*Rrr is only fair to say that he expre.-ssly disclaimed any intention of being disrespectful to her Majesty's representative. In the heat of the debate Sir Monk probably said more than he intended. Mr Collins was al=o opposed to the bill, but he spoke with good ta&te and without any bitterne^r. The Krnc. however, could not be said of Mi G. W. Russell, who po a ?d to the utmost as a democrat. Tho word "Lord" feemed to have the tamo effrct on him as a red rag upon a bul'. iio dprlaimerl mvc 1 ! a^ouL titles and nobility, and haid lixtle to Iho point. Captain Russell summed up the member for Riecarton's speech j very well when he Fiid he posed before the I Assembly v\ strident tones as a man of the , people. Oiipt.Hussell thought t'.at thp Premier wont too for when he spoke of the Governor

of New Zealand being a Governor-general, but he lfiight truly Lave raid that when Aus- ; tralia had its Govern or-general the status of the Governor of Xew Zealand would bo j considerably increased. Of courpe reference j vas mode to ail elective Governor, but one of > t'io advocates of this system had to deplore ■ th? cl'oru-3 of disapprobation coming from the , followe-s of Mr Seddon, and quoted an an- j cUnt division list which showed that an Elec- | tive Governor Bill wa3 only defeated by one voie. Tbing": hr^e evidently greatl)- changed since- t>-os-3 days, and tho present House at cuiy rale seems to have no e'esire to upset (ha prevailing method of .appointing her Mai?sty'p representative. The debate was not ' carried on on party lines, for while Captain Russell spoke in favour of the Premier's bill, quite a number of Ministerialists, such as ?J??srs G. W. Russell, Collins, Tannsr, iVE'Lacblan. and Meredith ranged themselves with Mp-isrs Monk, Pirani, J. Hutcheson, and other Oppositionists in opposing the mea- : sure. After several hours' discussion, Mr James Allen moved os an amendment i that the debate be adjourned until some con- ! elusion be arrived at as to the financial posi- i lion of th? colony. He contended that before any decision as to the Governor's salary was come to the House should know the financial • proposals of the Government. Mr Ward ! made an able and vigorous reply, and Mr ! Mas&ey replied in equally forcible terms, ' pointing out that the non-borrowing policy and the reduction of the tariff promised by j the present Government had not yet been ac- i complisherl, but quite the contrary. The do- ', bate concluded with a vigorous speech from ! tho Premier ia reply, at a quarter-past ] in J the morning. The division was then takon. ' the second reading of the bill being carried i by 43 to 15. j