RAILWAY FERMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1075, 14 March 1911, Page 6

RAILWAY FERMENT.

WHAT SORT OF SERVICE? THE JIISISTEB AND THE MEN. Following up the expressions of discontent in the railway service, as outlined recently in an article from tho "Railway Officers' Advocate," a. representative of The Dominion made some further inquiry yesterday. The article in question alleged, amongst other things, that the Department was steadily pursuing an unfair and unwarranted wages-paring policy, by reducing the value of some positions from time.to time. "Something Radically Wrong." "There is something radically wrong with tho administration of the service, and it can pretty well all bo traced to the Minister in charge," remarked one official, when approached. "We ore discontented here," he added, "and tho same feeling exists right throughout New Zealand. While thousands of pounds are being squandered in various directions a system of cheese-paring has been adopted in regard to the men—the Minister appearing to think that he can inako the railways pay at the expense of the all-too-low-paid men. It does not matter how strong a case you put forward,' added our informant, "the invariable reply is a refusal, or else the matter is ignored." A number of men have resigned, I understand, remarked the reporter. "Yes," was the emphatic reply, "and a. good many more will follow as soon as they can "see their way out. Here's a tit-bit for you to show to what lengths their- saving craze is carrying them. In the goods-sheds, they have refused to supply tho men with uniforms because they "(the men) are not seen hy Hi* public. Isn't that the limit?" Head Office to Blame. Another railwayman, referring to the cheese-paring policy adopted in regard to employees, laid the blame at the door of the' Head Office. It was true, he said, that privileges were.,being whittled away, and that men were leaving the service. In. fact, all the various allegations made about the bad state into'which the service had drifted were true, but they all recognised- that the Hon. Mr. Millar was no railway administrator, although he might know something about marine engineering. Ho had to rely on those under him, and here lay the trouble. The men had never been under a worse system than that, which they were at present. . Remarking .on the difficulty of getting any satisfactory reply to representations to "the Minister, another railway official instanced the matter of. railwayman's "stores" passes in "isolated" districts. These passes, he stated, were ordered to bs cancelled, but, after the matter had been debated in pnblic, it was stated that the privilege would be restored. "That's all right as far as it goes," said our informant, "but." he added, "we have it in writing that it will not be restored."