THE RAILWAYMEN'S "INCREASE"

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15987, 2 December 1919, Page 4

THE RAILWAYMEN'S "INCREASE"

“Reform" puts forward many claim# for support which will not stand analysis. It has, for instance, the nerve to make a bid for the rail way men’s support on the ground that it has increased their wages by a total of .£120,000 per annum. Cor. tainly it raised the general manager's salary to £3OOO a year, ami several other highly paid officers benefited by large :W creases. This will naturally reduce the average over the whole service, hut, putting them aside entirely and striking a general average, what do we find? °Li 1918 (the last year for which figures were available) there were 13,002 railway employees. With thq return of men on active service the number is now about 15,000. So, even, if there had been no big increases for high officers, the increase in salaries would work out at £8 per man per year, or about three shillings per week each. Magnificent! Yet the railwaymen are so ungrateful that they protest that three “bob" a week (sixpence a day) is not enough to cope with the increased cast of living. Why, m these days, when a sovereign goes as thirteen shillings went, )>cforc Reform took office, they ought to subscribe a national testimonial to “Reform" in acknowledgment of its generosity (?) As it is they are talking of voting against it. Some people arc never- satisfied! J f