THE RAILWAY BILL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 11931, 30 October 1919, Page 5

THE RAILWAY BILL.

Per Press Associati on. Wellington, Oct. 2S). The Railway Committee brought down a report on the Kailway Bill. Mr Massey said lie proposed to go on with the Bill to-morrow. Sir Joseph . Ward said he lfad no wish to anticipate tlie debate on <jhe Bill but he was not going to be one to sit in the House and allow higher salaries in the Railway Department while salaries in all other branches of the public service stood still. He pointed out the proposed increases would carry increased superannuation with theai which meant that many officers who would go out in a few years woula go out with some £6OO or £7OO a year, while many of the men in the lower grade a could, scarcely live on the pay they were receiving. This raised the question, even at this stage of the session, whether even now some further bonus should not be paid to the Public Service, many of whom were compelled to go into debt every week. He wasg not against increases of salaries but it was the contrast between the higher and lower salaries to which he objected. In one case one man was goiDg to get an increase in salary which meant an additional superannuation of £2OO a year. He welcomed some of the amendments made by the committee and lie would be glad ;to hear any sound reason which would justify the enormous jump which had been made in some of the higher salaries. Mr Massey, in reply, said the hon. gentleman had been better advised if he had waited till he had seen the Bill as amended by the committee before he denounced it, as very important amendments had been made. The hon. gentleman was evidently not aware that in his absence from New Zealand a board had been set up of high Government officials to take the question of salaries into consideration. He' (Mr Massey) "had consulted that board, and it was on their recommendations that the salaries in the Bill had been fixed. He proceeded to deal with what the. Government had done to keep down the cost of living, claiming that with the exception of coal New Zealand was in a better position than any other country in the world. The suggestion had been made that a special-board be set up to arrange salaries throughout the Railway Department and he approved that idea because the present system under which demands for increases were constantly being made was not satisfactory. So far as the superannuation fund was concerned, the amendment made.by Jthe committee had considerably mitigated the objection made by Sir Joseph Ward. He was prepared to give the suggested board a fair trial in the matter of regulating salaries and working conditions in the railway servi«re. He was also prepared to make their recommendations a Cabinet matter.

Mr Smith (Taranaki) made an appeal for an increase in the pay of the lower paid branches of the railway pervice, either by way of a straight-out increase or by a bonus until the Board of Trade could secure a reduction in the cost of living. Mr Wilford complained of the "idiotic and "fatuous" circulars sent out to officials by the head officjß. Mr Witty drew attention to the difficulty many returned men were experiencing in getting back into their old positions in the service. Mr Veitch stressed the need for cordial relations between the management and the men, that good + 'eeling did not exidt. and the position was much more serious than many supposed. The report of tho committee was received and the House rose at 5.30.