RAILWAY OFFICERS' INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3384, 22 January 1919, Page 7

RAILWAY OFFICERS' INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The annual conference of the New Zealand Railway Officers' Institute was opened on Tuesday morning at tho head office of that body, Empire Buildings. The following members were present: —Mr J. Young, president: Messrs E. Casey, A. W. Hutch - ings, M. Dennehy, H. Thomas, G. Matthewson, vice-presidents; Mr T. Snow, treasurer; and the following delegates: Messrs J. Fraser, O. R. Bell (Auckland), J. E. F. Brayshaw (South Auckland), J. F. Stratford, A. R. Thompson (Wanganui), E. J. Paton (Palmerston North), F. Thomas (Hawke's Bay), F. V. Craig, F. E. Hunt (Wellington), A. R, Taylor, L. C. Jolly (North Canterbury), R, H. Williams (South Canterbury), G. D. Smart (Westland), R. S. Skinner (North Otago), W. A. Marshall, H. L. Gibson (Dunedin), and L. Lee (Invercargill). The President (Mr J. Young), in his opening address, referred in detail to the activities of the executive during the past year, and made feeling reference to the loss of valuable members serving with the forces abroad and from the recent "epidemic. The loss to the institute of Messrs A. Graham (formerly president), Mr J. P. Mathieson (late goods agent, Christchurch), Mr J. (*- M'Pherson (lately station master, Blurt) was specially referred to, these officers having been prominent in the activities of the institute in past years. The members present adopted a mo * ] ° n of sympathy with the president and Mrs Young in the loss of their son, Sergeant R. Young, who fell in action in May last.

The conference continued . its sittings on the 15th. A considerable discussion developed upon the delay repeated year by year in the presentation of the classification list D 3 to Parliament. This was stated to be a matter of great concern to all members of the railway service, and very great exception was taken to their interests in this vital matter being regularly prejudiced by the classification being invariably presented too late for the Legislature to give it any consideration. The opinion was freely expressed that, had the classification been presented in reasonable time for 1918, the railway service might have participated in the recent improvements granted to the public service on the Supplementary Estimates. Vital questions dealing , with important rrlatters relating to the service conditions of junior members were discussed and dealt with. The conference will proceed to the consideration of the reclassification of the service, this matter being at present in the hands of a sub-committee. Consideration is being given to certain proposed amendments of the Superannuation Fund Act, especially with a view to providing for the widows of superannuated men.

The conference was continued on the 17th, Mr J. Young presidig. A keen debate arose over the proposal to transfer the headquarters of the institute from Dunedin to Wellington and to reorganise the constitution. The motion was eventually lost by a considerable majority. It was decided to. make a claim for overtime when worked, and for a special allowance for members working night duty. The reports of the sub-committees appointed to deal with the important matters of classification and superannuation amendments were fully debated and adopted. The proposals include* increases in allowances for widows of members, and a reciprocal arrangement between the various Government superannuation funds and the National Provident Fund. This will, if carried into effect, vastly improve the conditions and prospects of members of the service.

The conference was resumed on Saturday morning. The election of office-bearers for the ensuing year resulted as follows; —President, jV[ t J, Young; vice-presidents —Major W. 0. Ennis, Messrs A. W. Hutchings, M. Dennehy, H. Thomas, G. Matthewson, E. Casey; treasurer, Mr T. Snow. The Dunedin Executive Committee was re-elected. Messrs Dennehy, F. O. Craig, and J. It. Robertson were elected representatives of the institute on the State Service Council, in Wellington. ' A resolution was carried expressing the opinion that the time had arrived when full civil and political rights should be extended to all persons in the employ of the State. . , It was resolved that the department be asked to establish correspondence schools, and to publish a comprehensive manual dealing with the various problems arising from the interpretation of rules, etc., in order to assist members in the execution of their duties.

THE ANNUAL REUNION. The annual reunion of the New Zealand Railway Officers* Institute was held on the 16th in the institute's social room, there being a large attendance of members. Mr W. E. Smith (president of the local branch) occupied the chair. The loyal toast having been enthusiastically honoured, the Chairman proposed that of " The delegates to the Conference." He said that among the ranks of the members attending the conference were many old campaigners, who for years had received the confidence of the members of the institute. There were also some new delegates. To these he extended a special welcome. He paid a tribute to the president of tho conference (Mr J. Young), whose guidance and assistance to the delegates would result in their interests being closely watched and ■ conserved. —(Applause.) Mr Young, in responding, said that the conference was endeavouring to devise moans to overcome to seme extent the difficulties under which householders in the railway service had" been labouring during tho past four years, and which were due tb the very high cost of living. Tho conference was later in meeting this year than in previous years, but he considered it would turn out well. The passing of the war cloud had lifted a load from everyone's mind. We might be confident that the great object for which the British nation had been fighting—the betterment of the conditions of the

human race—would be realised. He thought, too, that tho conditions of people such as tho railwaymen must be benefited by the improved conditions which would result from the war. They were about to make requests to the management of the railways —as a matter of fact they had already made them — and he had very great hope that from April 1 they would have a greatly improved classification. —(Applause.) Whether the advances in the grades would be to recoup members for the high cost of living had yet to bo proved. The Institute had not beaten the big drum, but it had gone about its affairs in a dignified way, at the same time being earnest and consistent in its demands for an improvement in the service. He assured those members who came from the scattered centres of population that the executive never lost an opportunity ot keeping its demands before the management and the Government, and he thought that in, February they would be certain to gain some material advantage.—(Applause.) At this conference many matters of importance to every member were being discussed, and methods of improvement were being thrashed out. One of special interest to married men in tho service was the Superannuation Act. Ho thought that the time had arrived when they should strenuously endeavour to obtain some benefit which would apply to the widows _ of superannuated officers. At the present time 'if a superannuated officer unfortunately predeceased his wife, she was left without anything. The conference hoped, with tho assistance of other branches of the railway service, to have some substantial portion of the retiring allowance allocated for the widow. He thought / this would meet with the approval of every member of the service. They were endeavouring to maintain that high standard of work in the institute which had characterised its operations since the time the headquarters were placed under the control of the executive in Dunedin. His time in the service was drawing to a close, but he had always been pleased to work in the interests of the Officers' Institute and the railway as a whole. —(Loud applause.) "The Railway Service" was proposed by Mr Fraser, who harked back to what he called the bad old days. This, had reference to the time when he joined the service, when the Traffic Manager w-as the sole judge of any question in dispute so far as tho men under him were ■ concerned. Becoming reminiscent, he said he remembered the time when the Traffic Manager would impose a fine of 2s 6d or 5s on an officer, and in addition draw up a report covering the offence, which would be posted up on the station, and would be allowed to remain there until it had no more gum to hold it on a board. The men used to take their gruelling, there being no appeal boards in those days. When he heard young fellows growling because they had to work a few hours extra, he often thought they should have lived in the "bad old days," and they would now realise what the institute had done for them. Mr Whitcombe, in responding to this toast, said this was the last time he would appear before the members as one of their number. Two years ago he had sent in his papers, but he had been requested to stay on during the war. Ho would now leave the service on March 31. He regretted this, as it was the greatest service in New Zealand. It was a guide to the state of business in this country, and it was the pulse of public opinion. Public opinion damned the railways at times, and that unjustly. He started on the Great Midland Railway 49 years ago, and he had been in the New Zealand Railway service 42 years. In the "bad days" referred to by Mr Fraser, but which he regarded as the "good days," there were no holidays; in fact, he was in the service five years before he got a holiday. When he was married ho received only four days' leave. During his service he had had to do locomotive work, arrange statistics, pay the men, train running, and 18 to 20 hours a day was quite a common thing for men to have to put in. He was getting his liberty now, and he had got his only son back from the front, and "what more could anyone want," said Mr Whitcombe, in conclusion. Mr H. Bowles spoke on lines similar to those traversed by Mr Whitcombe. The other toasts honoured were "Fallen Comrades," "Our Boys on Active Service and tho Boys who have Come Back," "Kindred Societies," "N.Z. Railway Officers' Institute," "Superannuated Members, ' "The Press," and "The Chairman." The proceedings closed with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne" and "God Save the King."