THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 934, 29 September 1910, Page 6

THE HOUSE.

NEW RAILWAY REGULATIONS.ARE THEY' SATISFACTORY ?." ■ .■. AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. --When the House' resumed its sittings yesterday - there', was an important, discussion ill regard to the'new railway regulations which'were'presented for- the information of tho House. ' . Among.,the initial speakers was v. : Mr. T. -E. 'TAYLOR (Christchurch North), who said that there was a general.'complaint that the regulations, had :beon framed' with a view to making tho railways pay at : the exjenso of the . men. Mr. Arnold:. Especially in the first divi-. sion. ; . . t- 1 ■ Mr. Taylor: Most of my- complaints come from members of 'the 6econd division. • Proceeding, Mr. Taylor said that many of the men felt that ; their promotion depended on the caprice of their superior officer. Then, again, there Were large numbers of casuals who were of the opinion that they were entitled to a permanency; Mr. HOGA'N (Wanganui) declared that the; regulations were not so much at fault; it was tho construction that was placed upon them by tho responsible authorities.- When the Minister found out what' was going on. he would, he felt6ure, remedy tho grievances that had arisen. Mr.'LTJKE (Wellington Siiburbs) asked whether it was a fact that tho : certificate of an engine-driver who had beeii dismissed had been impounded. > Mr.' ROSS (Pahiatua) said that more satisfaction would accrue'if the officers immediately controlling the men were consulted in the matter of regulations, time-tables, etc. "Pin-pricking Circulars." Mr. WILFORD (II iitt) said that it was not the regulations which, gave annoyance, but tho pui-pricking circulars which wcto issued-by tho Department. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avpn) drew attcntion to new regulations to which he objected. Ono laid it down that any officer who addressed a communication to any person! outsido tho Department, or sought influence or interest of any person with'-a-view to obtaining an advantage in the service, or gave official information to the press, should bo liable to dismissal. This regulation, Mr. Russell.

pointed out, would make it impossible to communicate with the Department on behalf of any member of the service without running tho risk of having that member dismissed. He did not know whether tlw House was, willing to accept that position. The regulation would place railway servants in a very serious position, lower than they had ever occupied before. Another regulation which (was new was that no. member of the service would now bo erititled to claim leave of absenco as of right; If a member ; were absent for a fortnight through, illness ho was liable to have the time deducted from his ordinary holiday leave. Leave of absenco was now to be at the option of the general manager. (Mr. 'SIDEY. (Dunedin South), who seconded the amendment, maintained that there were several, reasons , why probationers should be/considered as members. The regulations wero such that they could not have been drafted by a trained legal mind. Mr.-Millar: They have been through the Crown . Law : Office, anyhow. I suppose there are no trained legal minds there? Mr. Sidcy: Well, I was not aware of the fact/ I had my doubts about whether they-were. Superannuation Sought Before Promotion, Mr. .Sidey added that there were/more men, looking forward to superannuation now than to promotion. Mr. BUCHANAN (Wairarapa) -referred to (the waste of (time .caused'by the discussion that had ensued through the refusal to agree to. the printing of the regulations;.: Mr. MASSEY said that the. alteration with, regard (to leave, of absence was a most important one, and he".thought members of . both divisions should have their lea:ve. Such leave 011 full pay was to be deducted from leave in Division 1., Then there: was another, amendment which pro-, vidqd .that/"any member was not entitled to claim leave as of .right." This had caused /a : great , deal of . dissatisfaction. His experience was that the railway ser-'. vants wero a very fine body of men.'.: The Hon, J. A. MILLAR asked what was tho use of printing (regulations that wero obsolete, at/ a ' cost of /between. i£2oo arid JG3OO. Any member could i»ot copies of the old and the new (regulations, and find out. for himself about the alterations: The men, through their executive, had expressed themselves- as satisfied with the regulations ' if ' they'vwere- only fairly ( administered: -They-had'all got. the regulations, and; they:;had also been printed in' their/(own: journal. / There 'was no material difference in , the regulations /excepting / tho . few :points' that; had -, been; raised.' y-' ,-', ,/ : •'''(:/" :■■'■: '( / //(/ Trouble Over Leave of Abscnce. Ho. would/ tell/members of the House what- had, caused this trouble. . A, medical, certifijate was not. needed in. the case of a man who. wanted siclc leave for/ less than three / days., / ' .The,: result was/ /thai whenever a man'wanted' a day's holiday; he had taken the dayfs. holiday, 'on/ the ground that he,was.riot well, z Then parrio the/right to .claim/the?. 17 .days', holidays, afterwards. : There'had never: been a. case in which pay" had been stopped because; of absence through/ sickness.;. ' ; '; ■'■ , Mr; Greenslade:: Oh, yes, -there has. Mr. Millar said that in framing this regulation'. the (Department - was .only taking power :to stop /abuses.' . 'Ten: thousand, pounds was given in sick pay. in one year to the members of the first (division,/who numbered ; only''4ooo. /.The. cost,was-grow-ing out "or all proportion-to thenumber, and the : time had a rrived when the ; public 'ought to know- about it. z He .was /quite-, prepared to'do.the fair'thing-by tho/meii/' buti at. the same time;, it. was his duty to protect tho public first. , (Hear, hear.) There/was/no'use/in" using,public money to pay men: who.were deliberately malinger- : ing. ■ -V :.,/- /' 1 : '.- ■~ : - :Mr. Russell: Why not. get rid of them? ; : Mr.' Millar said.that that was.all. very well; but a man'said ho was'not well and: got off .for. a/day. or. .two. / Thferi, a month/passed; - and ho went away /again... (How could/they say ho" was not well? Now,.-.if a man wished to get away for a day;-he: would have to get a medical/cer-v and that/would/'cost, him/lOs. I'' • Question of Influence. •/ , • . As to influence, the men themselves objected to individuals .• using; outside / influence for their own benefit. • When employees ' v ent to a member '.of Parliament, they were not fair to their own executive. Mr. Fisher: -Why-riot/gazette the mem-. bor? . ( ''/ - .'z ( '-' -::,i (,/:,-/ .The, Hon./ Thos. '-Mackenzie: He should bo gazetted. '// /,'-'"/,' ' : /Mr.' Millar 'added that a man had no right to be allowed to attempt, by influence, /to get au undue preference;, ou-a his: fellow-workers. A.s/to tho. reduction in travelling- allowance, the . railway/ men; .were, riot'./singular' in; that 'respect.' •• If members., could (see'some, of the vouchers that; had como. along for travelling; ex-, penses,: - it-'- would /be an': eye-opener : to - them. /(Needless to : say,' : they, were not passed. , _The/.time had. coirio when they had to put a stop to it. '■ ■'// '- / Mr. LAURENSON (Lyttelton) said his eixperience /was .that it:was. a mighty rare case when men approached members. The friction was caused • niost frequently by the ' petty ( and , tyrannical .way the men; were treated by the bosses over them.;' He referred (to a man who . had been ■ in-; jured in- the Boer War. ; Tho betters the man had'receiyed from a traffic manager were/of .the most bloodless;(cold-hearted description ,of any he had ever;/read. He wanted a pass for his wife and chil-, dren to go to nis father's house in. South' Canterbury,' and , the reply/ refused the request in the most': cold-blooded: manner. Mr. /Millar: That;'.was /altered, afterwards./'/. ■"'/: ' ■>.- i: /' ' ' (Mr.- Laurenson: I'm glad to hear it. It's - the petty official who causes; the: I friction. ■ ~ /'. - / The House decided that the regulations should (not bo printed. .1 '/. ; LOAN BILL PASSED. . z After a brief discussion, : . • The Public Works/Loan Bill for 000 was put through' its' final stages'. STATE ADVANCES BILL, (/Upon the (motion that the: report on the State . Guarariteed , Advances , amendment Bill bo adopted, . ,: ' V Mr.. / HEEIiIES , (Tauranga).. remarked that if the Prime Minister .more often tookthe advice from the Opposition he would, less'often have to amend his. Bills., He hoped that under, the amendments which had been (inserted, the operations of the Bill, would be eritirely satisfactory. . / Mr. ROSS'. (Pahiatua) considered that the amendments were a/move in the;right direction,; and would go a -long- way- towards- improving (the conditions (under, which settlers might' obtain; advances. • The Hon. D. BUDDO emphasised' tho. point: that the Government ' desired:, to see settlers secure", the full amount ' to which : they wore equitably: entitled :by way of an advance. Mr. HOGAN.(Wanganui)'said that local bodies would sooner get the whole: of the money that they required under the new Act than remain under' the old- Act, where the amount of advance was more restricted. He did not see that it would be possible, to classify , a property: according to the-life .of tno improvements. (/ Sir. HOGG (Masterton) thought that as tho Bill appeared now it was going to be a'very useful measure. Up to the present the Crown tenant had been placed at a great disadvantage in regard to borrowing from the Department. The' extension of the amount to J: 101/0 would, extend to Some more the right'they should have. At the sariio time, bethought thero could -bo a further The Bill was designed/to have a good effect' in helping the local bodies and the settlers.' • Tho PRIME MINISTER declared that there was nothing in Mr.: Hogg's view that the finances of the Department had broken down. The Department' had not asked for a penny from tho Post Office. ' What had happened was that the Post Office had applied to, the Minister for investment of its funds. Provision was mado in tho Bill to meet the caso of small settlors who could not get an advance under the original measure. Rural securities should have the first consideration in . the matter of advances to settlers. He was quite, prepared to seo whether a system could not bo devised to help the Crown settlers to get a reasonable advance, with tho reservation that the Department must bo protected to secure the repayment of principal and interest. The Bill was then read a third time, Lpnd passed.