NEW RAILWAYS MANAGER

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 21

NEW RAILWAYS MANAGER

"DICTATED HIS OWN TERMS." APPOINTMENT DEFENDED. SUPEKANNUATION CRITICISED.' ;(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The appointment of Mr. H. H. Sterling as general manager. of railways . ivas the main topic of debate when the Eailways; Amendment Bill was before the House to-night. . The Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, said the Government was fortunate in obtaining the services of Mr. Sterling. He was a man of ability .that would earn him considerable distinction. The bill defined • the rights of the general manager in relation to superannuation. He had to make certain payments into the fund, and on completing 40 years' service in the Department he would be entitled to superannuation amounting to .£2300 a year. The Leader of the Opposition,. Mr. H. E. Holland, said he had no fault to find with Mr. Sterling's qualifications, but he was not satisfied the position was worth £3500 a year. The general manager was being permitted to bridge the gap in his broken service to count for superannuation. He . asked why the principle should not be applied to the rank and file of the railway service, and he moved an amendment that the bill be referred back to the Government to make provision in the direction he had -■ indicated. . ■-■■V- ' A ;division was called for, and the amendment was defeated by 41 votes to ,17. ;,; <:: .. .;:.'v. * ;■ ' .■ ■• ' : ' "Terms Caused Discontent." The Leader of the United Party, Sir Joseph. Ward, said that while he approved, of Mr. Sterling's appointment, and he did not think he was being paid too much, he did object to his being brought hack into the railway sei-vice on terms which would cause rankling in the.hearts of railway men, and discontent in the' ranks of other departments. .. . - . . ' It would have been better to have given Mr. Sterling £5000 a year and no superannuation than to have reinstated him in- the fund in the way that had been' done. ...••:-.-.. , ; The Minister of Education, Horn K. A. Wright, said that when the emergency arose the services of a capable man, Sir.'Sterling was in a position to dictate his. own terms," and Mr. Wright failed to see how any body, of business men could fail to see that the Government had to come to terms. V; Prime Minister's Rep1y....... Replying , to criticism, tho Prime Minister referred to the assert!on ; that Mr. Sterling's services could. have been retained at a" low-figure. He assured the House that had the Government given'him ■ the salary that he left the board to earn : there would .have been■- "a howl throughout the- country." What "had . been done was .what' anybody "of. business men would have done. ■- .Keferring to complaints about super-: annuation rights,-Mr. Coates said it was not the 'first time Parliament;, had agreed__to. .the .reinstatement .of superannuation rights. There had been several, cases,-including' those of Messrs Connolly, M. J. Mack, and Hampton 'anrl two others.-Why should they single out Mr. Sterling's case, when lie had been away only two arid a-half years? !' '.'Mr. Coates said the-general manager had a big'say'concerning the terrns on which he would come back to the railways. Mr. W. Goodfellow, chairman of the New-Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company,' would havs given Mr. Sterling a great deal more .to stay in his position with the dairy company. .Mr. Sterling never, wanted to come back, but having once made up his mind to help . the railways through the most difficult period in th'eir.history ho' had gone ahead and had never murmured. Mr. ■'■■ Coates said he was grateful.to Mr..Goodfellow for the manner in which he had acted-in letting Mr.'Sterling go: ■ The second reading/was carried. •