RAILWAY MATTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5485, 10 February 1896, Page 3

RAILWAY MATTERS.

♦ REPRESENTATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT. Messrs I. Gibb, W. Chrystall and F. Waymouth were appointed by the committee of the Chamber of Commerce as a deputation to wait on the Premier with reference to several matters in connection with the working of the railways in this district. For several years the rate charged by the railway to merchants for cartage from the Christchurch station has been Is Id per ton. Each new contract entered into by the railway for doing this work has been at a reduction, and the last one was at 9fd per ton, but the price charged to the public has not been reduced. It is understood that the railway department is making a profit of about .£7OO a year, or 33£ per cent on the cost to it of the work in Christchurch. The Chamber wishes the Government to give the public the benefit of the reduction which has been made in the contract prices. ' Another matter on which the deputation wished to see the Premier was that of the rates on general merchandise carried between Lyttelton and Christchurch. The present rate is 5s per ton, made up of 4s for haulage and Is terminal charge, the distance being 6} miles. The rate between Dunedin and Port Chalmers, a distance of eight miles, is 4s 6d a ton, i.e., 3s 6d haulage and Is terminal charge. The Chamber wish the Christchiujch-Lyttelton charges reduced in proportion to those on the Dunedin-Port Chalmers line. A third question on which the Chamber wished to interview the Premier was that of the charge for overtime in working vessels at the wharves at Lyttelton. Under the existing regulations the whole of the wages for overtime has to be paid by the ship, but, nevertheless, the agents or owners of the vessel pay the railway department the same charge per ton on goods landed after hours as on those landed during the ordinary working day. The Government pays the whole of the wages of the men for the ordinary hours, but does not pay anything towards the wages of those working overtime. There are a number of permanent hands employed by the railway who receive 42s a week for forty-eight hours' -work. If -work is so slack .that they cannot putin forty-eight hours by working during the day time, they have to make up the difference by working after sp.m. if necessary. For this overtime as long as the total number of hours worked does not exceed forty-eight per week, they are not paid extra. Nevertheless, for this work, a charge is made to the ship of 2s per hour, which is profit to the department. When the permanent hands are not available, casual labour is employed at the same rate, 2s per hour. The committee of the Chamber wishes the ship to be charged only with the difference between .the daytime rate of wages, Is 3d per hour, and the overtime fate, in other words; to pay 9d per hour. It may be noted that the exigencies of the frozen meat trade render .overtime working indispensable at" Lyttelton. The deputation endeavoured to seethe Premier on Saturday, but was unable to do so, and it is intended to .communicate with the Government in regard to these matters. . , . Striking an average, English women wear shoes two sizes larger than American women.