RAILWAY APPEALS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1770, 7 June 1913, Page 5

RAILWAY APPEALS.

BOARD'S SITTING.

Tho North Wand Railway Appeal Board sat in Wellington yesterday. Dr. M'ATthur, S.M., presided, flnd associated with him were Messrs. C. P. Eyan (I'iTst Division) and D. M'Konzie (Second Division). Mr. JI, Davidson appeared for the liailway Department and Mr. M. Denneliy for the appellants. Clerk's Appeal Upheld. Charles William Johnston, a clerk in ill? l'etone Kailw.ay Workshops, appealed against the withholding of his scale increnfo in pay. Mr. Davidson said that tho reason for withholding tho increase was that Johnston had declined to bo transferred to a more rrsjxmsiblo position, a position more oil a level with his salary. Tho board granted the appeal, being of tho opinion that as appellant had dono his work eiliciontly, ho was entitled to tho scalo increase, Statlonmasters and Others Appeal. William Honry Cracknoll (stationmastcr at Farndon), Alexander William Holler (stationmasbcr at To Aro), Leonard Atkins (stationmaster at Johnsonville), William .T. Feeney (assistant relieving officer at Wellington),, and Kobert K. Q. ll.irdie (clerk at Wellington) appealed against tho promotion of certain foremen and ticket inspectors from Grade 10 to Qrado 9, (he said men thereby superseding the appellants. Mr. D. Dwyer oocupied tho bench instead of Mr. M'Kenzio during tho hearing of these eases. Mr. Davidson said that for some years it had been a practice to select coaching and goods foremen from the higher grades of the Second Division—to promote guards of long service and experience. Now, howovor, on account of tlio increase in the pay of guards, it was of no advantage to guards to promote them to bs foremen. The Department felt that, therefore, these guards were under a disability, | and, in order to be just towards them, had decided to raise them to another grade at a small increase in pay. Accordingly the guards went into tlio ninth grade, and superseded tho appellants, but the way to promotion of the appellants was not interfered with. Furthermore, in 1911 the now position of ticket inspector had been created, and guards of long service and experience were chosen to fill these positions, and these men had to go into Grade 9. Tho case 3 should bs decided not on individual merits, but on the broad principle. If tho appeals were Upheld it would cause an avenuo of promotion to bo closed to good men of long service.

Mr. Dennehy contended that tho guards who had been promoted to Grade 9 would stand in tho light of tho statioiimasters and clerks whom they had superseded. Ticket inspsctors and foremen should not be raised to Grade 9, while tho appellants were kept in' Grado 10. Mr. Ryan mentioned that the appeals ircro laid not to prevent promotions from the Second to tho First Division, but neainst members already promoted to tho First Division, being again promoted over the hoads of, those already in Grade 10. Decision was reserved. . Electrical Lines Inspector Ernest Austin Tomkins, electrical linos inspector, appealed against being superseded on the classification list by ilie promotion of foremen and ticket inspectors from Grado 10 to Grade 9. Hearing of ovidenco was not concluded wlwn ths (tourt roso till 10 o'clock this morning.