FURTHER EVIDENCE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16036, 29 January 1920, Page 8

FURTHER EVIDENCE.

WELLINGTON, January 28. At the railway inquiry, Mr McDonald, continuing Iris statement, said that, having regard to overtime and the numerous privileges, the Department was paying its employees a fair and reasonable wags. As to the great emphasis placed by Mr Hampton on the fa,ct that a very large number of men were leaving the service, he pointed out that it was quite possible to place a false construction on this. It was recognised that in times of prosperity there was a. considerable flow of men from one employer to another, and that condition was accentuated on account of the unsettling tendency of the late war. The gratuity, for ins lance, had a. ■ very <ii»tavi.ing olfoH, on many of the young men, win (hopped all other business in or-'or to devote tiienn-.elver to their gratuity. A great many men' were leaving' lb; Department on account oi dissihl.F..; turn with the wages, lint rather on accnuii of the economic disturbance which; was bring felt in ail avenues of life, tnndenlallv. Mr Mae-

Donald printed. oat that a cmi.tidcrabL' mnnher o' ox-bands were re-joining the service. Deferring to the demand that signaiine.n, storemen, and shunters he levelled up and placed on (he same basis as regards pay and conditions as guards, he pointed cut that the character of (lie duties performed by guards, shunters, storemen, and signalmen necessitated distinction being made in their relative positions, and under the circutnski lives the proposal could nob be agreed to. Dealing with the request that the pay of gasmen lie increased by :!s per day, to bring it into lino with that of train examiners, Mr MacDonald said that train examiners were entitled to a higher rate of pay on account of the risks they underwent, As regards tradesmen, their pay had been settled after consultation with the heads of branches, when it was agreed that a fitter was entitled to a higher rate of pay than other leading tradesmen. Full consideration would be given by the Department, to the request that a. married man’s pay should bo not loss than the adult minimum wage. .Regarding the suggested increase, in the pay of hour to hour casuals, he pointed cut that the Department considered it was an anomaly to pay them more than a permanent under whose direction they worked. That would give rise to dissatisfaction among the permanent hands. The Department had very little difficulty in getting all the casual labour it wanted, and this would not indicate that they were very dissatisfied. Touching on Die demand that all second grades and percentages affecting the Second Division be eliminated from the schedules of the Classification Act, and that members commence at a minimum to be fixed for what was now known as Grade 1., he said that the adoption of such a principle would have a very serious effect on the whole service, and would give rise to great discontent. Promotion to higher rates of pay waa at present governed in effect by the number of vacancies. To say that men should rise automatically to higher rates of pay, irrespective of traffic, would impose too big a financial burden on the service. As to the demand for overtime at the rate of 60 per cent, advance on day rates after 5 p.m., it had to be borne in mind that the increased outlay would be very considerable, having regard to the fact that much of the heavy traffic waa handled at night. It would have the e&ct of increasing the basic wage or imposing a disastrous burden on the country. As to Sunday work, the Department had nothing further to add to the reply which it had already given. Regarding the demand that all men working on