RAILWAYMEN-S PAY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2705, 26 February 1916, Page 15

RAILWAYMEN-S PAY

« :— FURTHER STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER, By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, February 25. The Hoh. W. H. Herries, discussing the demands of railway employees for increased pay, -said the Government fully recognised its duty to its employees. There was no desire to prevent- a legitimate rise -in wages if it was clearly shown that such is necessary. To give a war bonus of a shilling a day to raliway servants would cost £204,000. This involved a financial question of great importance. It would be unfair for him to give any promise which would affect tho finan•cial operations of the coming year without his colleagues being consulted. He j presumed it was proposed to provide money for the increased pay by some sort of taxation, or by a further increase in railway rates. Other railway omployecs besides those making tho present demands would have to bo . considered. The question of increases to Government employees' 1 outside _ tho Railway Department had not yet arisen. Cabinet would "carefully coitsicler the merits of the case put beforo It, with the earnest desire i-o do justice to the employees compatible with justice to tho taxpayers of the Dominion. Later. : The Minister, in discussing the request for increasedwages with a Prcss- ! man this morning, remarked"Tho 1 Government fully recognise their duty i tj their employees and have no desire in any way to prevent a legitimate rise 1 of wages if it is clearly shown that such ■ a rise is necessary. Tho question is, ' of Course, entirely one of policy, in ' which the. whole Cabinet is interested, 1 and also one of finance, in which, the ' Minister of Finance is especially interested. To give a war bonus of Is. per . day to railway servants, that is to say,

to such, members of both first and second divisions who should get it. if any such bonus' is -given, would cost £20-1,000. This is a very large sum, and it is a financial question of very jreat

importance. The whole matter, in short, must be referred to Cabinet, and I recognised at the meeting referred to by Mr. 'Slack that it would be unfair to

the Minister of Finance to give any I promise .which would affect his finan-1 cial operations' for the coming year without him being present. It will be seen, therefore, that tho whole question hinges on ways and means.' If £204,000 has to bo provided as a war bonus to tho Railway Servants it means that it will have to be found, I presuinej in tlie shape of some sort of taxation, or by a further increase of railway rates."

Soldier, soldier, come from the wars, Why are you sneezing so? "Tishoo—tishoo," said tho soldier bold; "Don't stop me', for I must go To Pilule aud Pestle, the chemist men, To get me relief quick and sure." So ho left at the double, removing tho trouble With Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. —Advt. Tho side of sawmilling plant advertised yesterday as taking place on Monday nest has been postponed for fourteen days by order of the Official Assiguee.