RAILWAYS BILL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1893, 30 October 1913, Page 4

RAILWAYS BILL.

INCREASES FOR THE FIRST DIVISION. LEVEL CROSSINGS DANGER. By the Government Railways Amendment Bill, introduced into the Houso of Representatives by the Minister of jßailways yesterday, increases of salaries aro granted tp members of, the First Division of tlie Railway Service. Two other new features of the Bill aro .provisions regulating tho control and maintenance of level crossings, and a few clauses empowering the Minister to order an inquiry into any railway accident. At present the Minister lid's no such power, and an inquiry cannot be held unless some person happens to bo killed in tho accident, when an inquest is hold as a matter of course. Tho Bill provides that when a road or street; crosses a railway on tho level, tho Minister shall maintain and metal the road and crossing on tho railway for a distance of 33 feet outside tlio centre lino of, rails, and tho local authority shall maintain and metal the approaches to such crossing, subject to tlio approval of the Minister. There are sub-clauses also dealing with roads which pass over or under tho railways. In tho case of every public level crossing over any Government railway which ' may b'o granted after the passing of the Act, it is provided that the local authority having jurisdiction 'over the road shall bo required to bear the cost of any bells, gates, signals, or other appliances which tho permanent head of tho Department may deem it necessary or desirable to provide in order to protect road traffic over tho crossing, and shall likewiso bear the cost of converting such level crossing into a sub-way or overhead crossing whenever tho Minister deems it necessary or desirable in the public interest that such level crossing . should bo closed. Another clause gives tho Minister power to cause to ha erected in addition to the "Stop" notico boards, such automatic signals as lie considers necessary for the protection of persons usinfj tho crossing, and tho Minister is Guarded from all liability in rospoct of any accident resulting from tho temporary failure of tlio automatic or other signalling appliance. Another clauso directs that drivers of motor vehiclos shall slacken speed to six miles an hour within 100 yards of ft level crossing, shall stop before fouling the railway line, and shall not pass over such crossing at a speed exceeding six miles an hour.

The clause relating to inquiries into accidents gives the Minister power to order an inntiiry, and t-o nominate a board consisting of a magistrate and two assessors (not members of tho railway sorvico) both of whom must have had oxpericnco in railway working. Tho magistrate may decide in each case whether the proceedings shall he open to the Press. Provision is mad" for the classification of the First Division, aa promised by tlie Minister last year. Tho cffectof the alterations in Wages' is in tho .direction of broadening the lower grades of tho first division and improving tho position of junior Second Division employes. The chief clerk to tho General Manager, whose present salary is £800, has a, maximum of £1000. Similar salaries to bo payable to tho chief mechanical engineer, traffic manager, and maintenance engineer, representing £100 advance on the maximum. The First Division salaries are increased as follow:—Third grade minimum by £15 to' £485; fotiftli grade by £20 to £440, with a maximum of £475; fifth grade by £15, with & maximum of £425; sixth grade by $15, with a, maximum of £370; seventh grade by £16, with a maximum of £315; eighth grade by £10, with a. maximum of "£260, Tho greatest variation is shown in the ninth grade. There are nine subdivisions introduced, with salaries ranging- from £125 to £220; tenth grade salaries from £50 to £110. Tho improvements on the Second Division wages enable junior porters to rise to Bs. per day, an increase of tho minimum by 6d. Similar concessions are granted to junior labourers, locomotivo branch, and junior surfacemen.