RAILWAY MATTERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 33, 3 November 1919, Page 6

RAILWAY MATTERS

I AN ALL-NIGHT DEBATE THE GENERAL MANAGER'S j SALARY QUESTION OF THE VETO s Tho House of Representatives had an all-night sitting on the Government Bailways Bill. Tho second reading debate, which was opened oil Friday afternoon, continued into the small hours of Saturday morning. Mr. Massey, replying at 2.20 a.m. on Saturday, Raid the Bill was based upon an agreement made betwesn the Railway Department aud the A.S.R.S. The agreement had been embodied in effect the schedule of the* Bill. Mr. Smith: The second schedule. Mr. Massey said the most unreasonable speech made in the course of the debate had been thnt of the Leader of the Opposition, who had suggested, among clher things, that tho Bill had been brought down for electioneering purposes. Had he forgotten that in 1911 a Railway Bill proposing some increases of salary had been brought down on October 25, while the session ended on October 3S? The delay in the appearance of tho present Bill had not been the fault of the Government. The provisions of the Bill had been leady for some time, but they hail not been in legal phraseology until a lew days ago. The extra burden on the Superannuation Fund as a result of the increased salaries granted by the people would bo only about Members had been asking for an extra bonus for the railwaymen. A bonus of Is. a day would cost ,£280,000 per annum. Ho did not believe that the cost of living was going to remain at its prc-

ssnt level indefinitely. 'There would bo reductions in the future. Members must remember when talking Of a bonus that it was not possible to pay a bonus to the railwaymen without paying it also to other gruups of public servants. Mr., Massey quoted figures to show that tho railwaymen earned moro than schedule rates owing to the payment of overtime. The men wero paid" overtime for night work. They earned extra money on account of the improved conditions granted to them in April last. The New Zealand railwaymen were better paid than the Australian railwaymen. He believed that if New Zealand was to maintain a thoroughly competent railway service, it must be prepared to pay adequate salaries, lie agreed that moro housing was required for railwaymen. The soheine that had been adopted provided for the erection of 450 houses, and of these 7ft would bo at. Frankton Junction. Nothing would please him moro than to increase the payments to superannuated men, but the hard fact had to be faced that, the money in the Consolidated Fund would not do all tho things that wero admitted to be desirable. Tho Government made the money go as far as possible, and, he would say, without committing his colleagues, that some of tho points raised during !the debate would Ijo taken into consideration.

Mr. Isitt: _ Should any man in the railway servico bo left in such a position that lie cannot pay his way? Mr. Massey: A ; o. If there is any man in that position he should receivo consideration. •Tho Bill was read a second time and committed at 2.55 a.m. Mr. Sidey urged tho Minister to yield to the almost unanimous representations of the House in favour of increased pay to the Second Division men. Other members repeated some of tho arguments used during the second rending debate. Mr. Holland (Grey) moved an amendment intended to make tho decision of the Apnsal Board final. Mr. Massey said ho could not accept the amendmont. The Government was not represented on the Appeal Board at all. The fate .Minister of Railways had offered to abandon the veto it the Department had representation on tho Appeal' Board. The A.S.R.S. had rejected 'his proposal. The Hon. AV. H. Herries said the question of the veto had seuloiu arisen. He had always said, that tho veto would be dropped if tho Appeal Board was reconstructed, so as to consist of a Magistrate (js chairman), a representative of tho Department, and a .representative of tho division from which the appeal came. The A.S.B.S. preferred tho prosent Appeal Board (a Magistrate, a First Division representative, and a Second Division representative) with tho veto. Mr. Nash (Palmewton), Mr. Field (Otaki), Mr. Luke (Wellington North) and other members said they thought the unanimous decision of tho Appeal Board should 'bo final. Dr. Newman (Wellington East) said the question of the veto minimi reform. The position was natural.}' unsatisfactory to tho man. Ho hoped the Minister would propose a new constitution for tho Appeal Board ( next year, and abolish the veto. Sir Joseph Ward said he. was not prepared to accept responsibility for taking the power of contrc'l out of the hands of the Minister of Railways. Ho liad used tho power of veto on a few occasions himself. Ho wished to know what wns to be substituted before tho veto was abolished. Safety must be tho first consideration in railway management. An Appeal Board did not carry the responsibility that rested on tho shoulders of the management. The difficulty might be overcome by providing a right of appeal! from the veto to the Suprejuo Civurt. The amendment was defeated by 3G votes-to 17. Mr. Holland moved to reduce the salary of the General Manager from ,£3OOO to .£IOOO. Mr. Young (Waikato) lva<l an earV'er amendment. He movi>d to reinstate a clause struck out by the .Railways Committee. providing for ivomntion on the ground of special merit. He nropcsH that tho provision should apply only to I he First Division. The amendment was rejected on the vn'C!'s. Sir Joseph Ward said ho won l '! vole against the reduction of salary. He had been onposed to the importation of a general manager from abroad nnd to tho' payment of a salary of .£3OOO. But tho appointment having? been made, he wns not prepared to pay a New Zealand general manager'less than had Jjeen paid to I he imported manager. Mr. Holland said tho present General Manager, Mr. M'Villv, had been well paid at ,£IOOO, and now ho was being jumped suddenly to ,£3900 a year. No man in any position could earn ,£IOOO a year. Mr. Ell said tho Labour Government in Australia had paid .£10(10 a year to the manager of the Commonwealth Bank. The Queensland Government was paying ,£2250 to its Railway Manager. 3lr. Stathain said the salary of .£300(1 was larger than the salary of tho Prime Minister, tho Chief Justice or any other nu':!ie officer. It was out of proportion to New Zealand's scale of salaries. Thero might have been some justification for offering .£3OOO in order to secure an export from abroad. But that was no reason why the salary should be paid to n local man. Mr, Wi 1 lord said tho simnlo fact was that the job was not worth the money. Mr. Wilkinson offered tho opinion I hat the salary was not a bit too largo. Many doctors and lawyers earned more. Tho salary paid the Prime Minister was far 100 small. The amendment was defeated bv ii voles to 11. 'I'ho division list was as follows:— For the amendment nil—J. M. Dickson. T. A. 11. Field. AV. H. Field. Ilniland, Jennings, A. K. Newman. S'mnlc, Statham, Walker, Wilford. Wright. ' Against the amendment (12)—Allen, i .| Bolln'-rl. limh'.o. Coale-, Dickie, J. S. Dickson, Ell. W. Frnscr, Glover, Oulhrie. Harris, ITenare. Ilcries, Hino, llornsbv, Hunter, Isitt. Lee. 1/ii.ke, M'Oil--1 urn. Mender. Mas«ev. Xush, E. Newman, Xosworlliv. Poland. I'nmnre. Heed. Tt. 11. l'V-ln,. Sent I . Srddon. Sidev. G. 11. Smith, 11. AV. Smith. S. G. Smith, Sykcs, Viilulj. Ward, Wilkinson. Willy. Young. fir Joseph Ward moved to rciluce tho salary of the Assistant-General Manager (.£I2.")0) by =0 as an indication that in the. opinion of tho House the members of the Second Division were entitled to

consideration if tho _ salaries of members of the First Division were raised as proposed in eub-division 1 of tho echedulo (dealing with tho management). Mr. Massey said if tho amendment was cavriel lie proposed to strike out tho whole schedule of tho Bill (specifying tho now scale of salaries throughout tho service). A member: Drop the Bill? Mr.'Massey: That might come later. Sir Joseph Ward: That is a threat. -Mi'. Massey: "There is no threat. I would have no option." He intonded to consult Lis colleagues about doing what the Government possibly could do for Hit, married men of the Second Division. If tlio amendment were carried, tho vholo .service would be discouraged, no was inclined to regret now that the increases had ever been suggested, but as they had been suggested they ought to be carried through. It was a good thing to have some highly paid men at tho head of a Department in order to provide a goal for tho efforts of the junior officers. Tla carrying of the amendment would involve the loss of the schedule. Mr. Wilford: Accept the decision of the House. Mr. Massey: lam going to do so. If this amendment is carried it will ho an indication that members do not approve of the proposals. Sir Joseph Ward said he was moving his amendment simply as an indication that the Second Division men were not receiving all they should receive in comparison with the First Division men. Air. Massey-: Bo you approve of tho increases? Sir Joseph Ward: I have explained my object. Mr. Massey said he had sejn the report of tho board, and it recommended increases that aft'ected the heads of all the great Departments. He could not make I lie details public at that stagy. Sir .Tames Allen: This depends on tho Bill. If you destroy the Bill you destroy this proposal also. Sir Joseph Ward said thr issue was quite simple. Ho had moved a reduc- ' tioii of ,tl as an indication that moro Should be done for the Second Division men, ,Some of those men could not make ends meet at the present time. Mr. .Massey said lie had agreed to set. up a board at the request of flic committee, and he had promised that tho recommendation of the committee would be given effect without delay. The whole scheme was tho biggest advance over made in the improvement of railwav conditions. Mr. Holland said ho would not vote to reduce the salary by only JGI. 'That was niyre camouflage. Mr. Anderson asked when tho board would be set up and when any increases recommended by tho board would come into operation. Mr. Mrisffy said lie would set up t!hp hoard as quickly as possible. He had to consult tho Chief Justice regarding the employment of a Judge on the inquiry. The date of any increased payment would be fixed by Cabinet. He had not promised retrospection. Sir Joseph Ward said it would not be possible for a board to reach its decisions as quickly as the increases ougilit to be granted. Mr. Massey said if the board roada a recommendation to date tho increases back to a certain date lie would recommend Cabinet to adopt it. He had been informed by the General Manager that the board could report within three months. If. would sit in Wellington and take evidence. The aiucnduiont was defeated by 31 votes to 23, tho Labour members voting with the Government. For the amendment (23).—Buddo) Craigic, Dickie, Ell, T. A. H. Field, Glover. Hanan, Ilornsby, Isitfc, Jennings, Leo. M'Cnllum, Poiand, Seddon, Sidev, 11. W. Smith. S. G. Smith, Voitch, Ward, Wilford. Witty, Wright, Young. Against tho amendment (81).—Allen, Anderson, Bollard, Coates, ,7. M. Dickson. J. S. Dickson, W. H. Field, W. Fraser, Guthrie, Harris, Honare, Herries. Hine, Holland, Hunter, Luke, Masscv. Rash, A. K. Newman, E. Newman. Nosworthy, Pomare, Reed, 1?. H. Modes. Scott, Scmple, G. H. Smith, .Statham, Sykes, Walker, Wilkinson. Tho Bill was reported from committee without amendment at 5.20 a.m. ' On tho motion for the third rending, Sir Joseph Ward explained what lie had done in committee. He fell, lie said, that members were going to leave IM'.'liament without fioing what it should do for men who found themselves unable to live in a proper way on the inadequate wages they were receiving. He believed that it was a wrong thing and a dangerous thing to leave c.onsiderablo bodies of men suffering hardship and feeling a sense of injustice. Several other members explained their votes.

Mr. Massey said he might bo able to make n. statement about becond Division salaries beforo the end of the session. The board lie had promised to set up would consist of a .Twlge (preferably the Judge of tho Arbitration Court) and three nominated members representing the threo bijj branches of ilia railway service. It would consider wages and conditions. He believed the boarri could report well within three months. Tho heads of other Departments were not being neglected. A report on tho salaries of these officers was ih hand, and if action could not be taken this session the necessary legislation would bo introduced next session. He believed tho Bill was the best Bill ever passed by Parliament in the interests of the railwaymen. The Bill was read a third tiino and nassctf. The House adjourned at 6.30 a.m. on Saturday until 7.30 p.m.

The residents of Mitchelltown tendered a "welcome-home" social to the men of the surrounding; district who had been serving in tho N.Z.E.E. The schoolroom was gaily decorated for tho occasion. Mr. William Hart presided. Mis. Oscar Johnston provided a.n excellent supper, and a very enjoyable evening was spoilt.