RAILWAY SERVICE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144328, 17 February 1914, Page 6

RAILWAY SERVICE.

CONFERENCE OF ENGINEDRIVERS. PROPOSED REFORMS. FEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. CHRISTCHURCH. Feb. 16. Tho conference of the New Zealand Locomotive Engine Drivers,, Firemen, and Cleaners’ Association was resumed to-day. The report supplied stated that the Grand Council had considered the present system of compulsory retirement from tho superannuation fund upon retiring from the service was a distinct hardship, inasmuch as it deleted benefits and amounted to punishment of members concerned. Tho council held that the insurance fund should be governed by commercial principles, and that a contributor onco admitted should have the option of continuing his contributions until his policy expired. At present members retiring at their own option or by direction only received tho actual money they had paid in, minus interest. It was a matter of speculation w'hether tho fund would benefit tho contributor, for at tho last moment, after forty years’ service, misadventure might deprive a member from participation in its benefits. The council required a more equitable control and a definite benefit clause independent of tho vagaries of the service a member was engaged on. Tho council was dissatisfied with tho present medical examination for departmental requirements, and held that tho member interested should have the choice of doctor, so as to ho in lino with the present practice of tho department in nominating tho medical officers they required. It was understood that they had to pay for all certificates, which were required to detect a malingerer, but in contravention of the wording of tho Act tho Department asked tho employee to carry a double burden of expense. In view of tho recent Aisgill disaster being attributed to the use of inferior coal unduly harassing tho engine crew in the more important matter of attending to public safety, and tho fact that improvement was urgently needed in tho standard of coal supplied to the New Zealand Govornmant railways, tho council were making special representations to the Department to remove tho trouble and so avert looming danger. Tho council urged that for public safety thoro must bo adequate boiler-powor, with suitable coal. The practice of supplying coke in substitution for coal, at Plankton in particular, was causing extreme anxiety to tho men. Alterations to tho constitution and rules were considered and an address was delivered by Miss Mitchell, of the Social Democratic Party.