SALARIES OF RAILWAY SERVANTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1568, 11 October 1912, Page 4

SALARIES OF RAILWAY SERVANTS.

RESOLUTIONS BY BRANCHES OF • THE INSTITUTE,. (Bi Telegraph.--Press Association.) Invercargill, October 10. At a mooting to-uight of the Invercargill branch of the Railway Officers' Institute resolutions were carried regretting that tho Minister will not give effect to recommendations of the Railway Committee regarding improved classification, and requesting to obtain an independent re-' port in reference to the effect that the cost of the adoption of tho Post and Telegraph scnlo as petitioned for by the institute would havo on the earnings of , recognised,percentage of capital cost. The branch considers that tho proposals made by the Minister for Railways ore totally inadequate to allay tho discontent at present existing amongst officers of the service, and considering responsibilities carried by railway. officers they maintain that a scale of salaries at taut equal to that provided for in the Public Service. Act for other branches of the Publio Sorvico should be authorised this'session. Wanganui, October 10. At the monthly meeting of the Wanganui. district branch of tho Railway Officers' Institute the following resolutions wero carried:—(l) That the action of the delegates in declining the .Minister's offer as a settlement of the officers' requests meets with our approval. (2) That tho executive be recommended to continue the present policy, and petition Parliament! whilst the service conditions comjmre so unfavourably with othlr public Departmoats. (3) This branch regrets exceedingly that tho Minister for Railways has not done more towards carrying out the findings of tho Railways Committee, a.nd, points out'that the Minister's statement in Parliament that tho Government proposals to improve officers' salaries would cost tho country £41,000 at tho end ol four years is misleading, being an aggro* gntion, whereas the Government Actuary officially reported that the annual recuiv ring cost ot officers' requests at the enft of the same period would be £31,960. (4.1, This branch earnestly requests members)* of Parliament to individually assist the Minister to overcomo the difficulty, as it is unreasonable Hint railway office™ should continue working at salaries admitted, to be lower than tho Public Service generally. _~,„., ,„ Dunedln, October 10. In connection with tho statement mado in tho House on Wednesday by tho Hon/ W. H. Herrios (Minister for Railways) re gardihg tho increases to railway servants, a "Dailv Times" reporter waited on Mr, Morgan '(secretary of the Railway Officers' Institute) to-day. "Tho inferenco to l>o drawn from Mr. Ilerrics's remarks," he said, "is that at the end of four years the annual recurring cost of his proposals regarding the' first division's salaries would amount to £44,000. This amount is arrived at by a system of aggregation which the institute , has been 'up against' all along. The amount represents the cost of the proposed amendments over a period of four years, I but it is stated, according to the report, i to bo the annual recurring cost at the end of the fourth year. I think Mr. Herrios might have mado it clear what tho nnnnal recurring cost of tho proposal would be. I worked it out at roughly £10,000; If. the amounts granted to the second division in 1911 and again this year wero aggregated over a period of four vears, as has been done ill the, ca«e of the first division salaries, they would amount to £GG2,000. made up iu, follow :-£75,000 granted undor the amendment to Act of November, 1911, plus £41,000 granted by Cabinet minute \V January this year, £39,000 which Mr. Hemes" said ho intended to provide, makw ing an nnnnal cost of £108,000, which, \ niiiltinlicd by four, gives £0152,000. Advan-' tage has been taken of tho increased emoluments,- payable under the Act passed in 1907, to reduce tho value of tho positions in the service, to such an extent that'tho loss in total salaries to member* of the first division as a whole, as compared with the total salaries payable under tho 1909 Act, amounted to over .C 2.5.000. Between. April 1, 1908, and '• March 31. 1912. lh(i average snlarr hits fallen from £184 per head in 1906. to £1"C per head in 1012. Something is liable . to occur under Mr. Herries's proposals; Apparently Mr. Hbrries considers tlie promises of his predecessors worthy of greater consideration* than direct refer, ence to a Parliamentary Committee. I cannot get away from the idea that the management is /wilfully placing the institute's ease before him in tho worst light possible." Questioned further, Mr. Morgan said that tho general opinion was that from, the view presented to the Minister bv the management, he had acted in n liberal! manner. The grievance was that the posl*' (ion was not being pronerly placed before' him bv responsible officevs. It appears to the 'institute that tho first, division wa« being made to bear the whole cost -f the saving which the Department was endeavouring to-effect, in order lo be assured of obtaining a minimum percentage o* £3155,\ on tho working cost.