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38. That preference to unionists be given both in the employment and reduction of staff in the New Zealand Railways. This petition is presented to your honourable House in pursuance of a resolution of the executive council passed on the 9th day of August, 1911. Therefore your petitioner prays that they may be heard by its officers and executive counoil and by witnesses before the Railways Committee, or any other Committee i>!' your honourable House to which the hereinbefore petition may be referred. And your petitioners as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c. W. A. Veitch, President. M. J. Mack, Secretary. It. Hampton \ W. T. Wilson E. J. Dash R. Moore „ ... G. S. Frost V Councilors. F. HUTCHINS J. W. JULL J. Churchouse

DEPARTMENTAL REPORT.

New Zealand Government Hallways, Head Office, Sin,— Wellington, 17th October, 1911. With reference to the petition of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (No. 69, returned herewith), 1 have to report that very many matters brought under the notice of the Department by the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants have been adjusted, and concessions have been granted whenever it has been practicable to do so. There are, however, as the petitioners state, cases in which representations have been made on matters in respect to which the Department lias not been able to give the relief sought. With respect to — 1. Any increase in wages would involve very heavy expense on the Department. 2. The payment of a rate of Is. 3d. per hour to casuals will still further increase the operatingexpenses of the Department-. So far as privileges are ooneerned, goods-shed casuals who are paid at a rate per hour and who are employed not less than twenty-four hours per week are granted privilege tickets for themselves and wives. 3. Tliis is a further request for increasing the operating-expenses of the Department. Investigations are being made as a result of previous representations by Ihe society, and it is intended to go comprehensively into the matter as soon as all the necessary data has been obtained. 4. It is the invariable practice to maintain the full percentages in both grades. 5. Where men are booked to come on duty and it is subsequently found that they are not required, the practice is to send word to their homes accordingly. In the event of the men arriving on duty before receiving word, they ate paid for the time actually worked. Where they do not work no time is paid for. lam unable to recommend an\ alteration in this practice. 6. The payment of tool allowance to carpenters would involve tii'e Department in very considerable expense. The Department has already arranged that men in its employ can obtain tools at wholesale prices through fhe Stores Department, and this will enable them to effect a saving in respect to any tools they require. 7. The general practice throughout the Dominion is that where the work is continuous, such as the larger centres, forty-eight hours is recognized as constituting a week's work. Where the duties are intermittent the stalt are expected to work as required, provided Hie actual time worked does not exceed nine hours per day. Time off is given as opportunity offers in respect to overtime worked. Gangers and surfacemen working over four miles away from their homes commence work fifteen minutes later and finish fifteen minutes earlier than the regulation hours. For every mile over four miles distant from home live minutes additional is allowed both morning and evening. 8. The general practice of the Department is not to book men on for duty until after they have had a period of eight hours rest. It has. however, been found on investigation made as a result of recent representations that the Department's intentions in this direction have not always been given effect to by the local officers. Instructions have, however, now been given that where men who are running late trains arrive so late at their destination as to be unable to obtain eight hours rest before being again booked on, arrangements are to be made so as to enable them to obtain eight hours rest before resuming duty. 9. Men employed in the workshops are required to work forty-eight hours per week before overtime rates are paid. lam not prepared to recommend compliance with the request. 10. All permanent-way men are now paid full time in wet or dry weather. Members of the works staff are paid half-time for time lost through wet weather. 11. lam not prepared to recommend compliance with this request. Where the duties are light it necessarily follows that they must be spread over a longer or shorter period of the day according to the exigencies of the public service.