RAILWAYMEN'S AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 36, 6 November 1920, Page 8

RAILWAYMEN'S AFFAIRS

WAGES AND PRIVILEGES ' PROMISED POLITICAL RIGHTS The Primo Minister moved to commit tho Railways Aniemdment J3jU in the House .of Representatives yesterday afternoon. This ]3ili authorises the 1 payment to railwaymen of the increased rate? of pay recommended by the commissions that sat early in tlio year. Sir. T. M. Wilfor'd (Hutt) suggested that increases in the cost of living sines the framing of the [recommendations ought to bo taken into consideration. Ho proceeded to refer to tho large increases that were being made in tho wages of apprentices. Tho scale rose to 10s. (id. a day in the apprentice's fifth year, and Ibe attractions that were being offered ought to be made known. The .Railway Department had been suffering from a lack of apprentices. Lad Si could be got for the fitting and carpentering shops, but not for the other branches. The railway service ought to be mora attractive than any private sorvic*, but as a matter of I'aei: the Department, owing to Jack of skilled men, was sending repair work to a private firm. This was almost entirely a question of pay. Tl)e difference between tho skilled man and the unskilled man was not sufficiently marked. Mr. Wilford described the inadequacy of the superannation payments as a scandal. The "miserable pittances" wore not enough for tlio men to, live upon. .Mr. .T. P. Luke (Wellington Northl supported Mr. Wilford's ■\iews. He said that skilled workers, after a long .period of training, found they wero earning very little more than casual, unskilled workers. Discussion of this snbjVt was continued by Mr. S. G. Smith (Tarai.aki) and other members, who suggested that tho conditions of tho railwayman still required improvement in various directions. Tho cost, of living question was introduced, and_ was debated by some members on familiar line"?. Labour members demanded the granting of "full political rights" to members of the Railway service. Mr. M'Nicol (Pahiatua) said he had an high a regard for tho railwayman as any other member of the House, but ho could not admit' that men should bo allowed to sit in Parliament while occupying .positions in the Public Service. Would it be desirable to lio-ve the General Manager of Railways or some other railwayman contesting a seat against the Minister of Railways? Some interjections from tho other side of the Houso drew from Mr. M'Nicol a reference to "one of tlio seven particles in tile heterogeneous mass that calls itself His Majesty's Opposition." "Illogical nonsenso" was Air. A. D. M'Leod's description of tha demand that railwaymen or other Civil Servants should have a right t° enter politics. How would it be possible for a railwayman to abandon Ins work while he contested an election, and then get leare of absence for sessions. The Government had given permission often for members' of the Civil Service to contest elections, but a condition, was properly f'ttached that the men must leave the -service if they entered Parliament. The Prime Minister replied to most of the points that had been raised in the course of the debate. Ho expressed pleasure at the statement of members who wero capable of judging such matters that tho Hill was tho best, from the poiiit of view of tho railwaymen, (hat liad been brought <lown for mnijv a long flay. Despite what had been said to the contrary, the increases in apprentices' wages had liad tliq effect of attracting young men to the .service, and fo-clay file Department had on its 'books more would-be apprentices than it could find situations for. The matter of superannuation had been spoken of. year the Government had found ,£75,0f10 to nrovide the assistance required by tho railway snperainuintion fund, and this year it was doing the snmo tiling again. The sum of .£,"0,000 had already been provided, and the remaining X25,0f10 would "ho provided before tlio session came to an end. Ho thought it was on theSupnlementary Estimates now. He had been glad to hear members, express approval af what ttrr Ttovernment wasdoing to houso the railwaymen. WhuFTum so far been done was satisfactory, but ft was only a small part of wlmt it was intended to achieve ultimately. It was not intended to stoii at Wellington in the matter of providing homes for railwaymen. Houses would be built m every railway centro throughout tlio country, and' the time, he hoped, would come when every married railwayman who desired it would bo lioused in ft dwelling belonging to tho Department. He hoped ultimately to proceed upon tlio principle that tho tvcoVs rent.should not exceed a day's pay. What the Government was trying to do was to make the railwaymen contented. „ 1 He had'made a statement earlier i" the session regarding civil and political ri"hts for Public Servants So far as what might be called civil rights wero concerned,' ho thought tlio men migh bo said to have them now. pi oof lay in the fact that 52 railwaymen ive membsrs of borough councils.. Tho question of political Tiglits was moie difficult. He had told the House some time a"0 that ho would endeavour to remcdv°any grievance that the men considered tliev liad. alid ho proposed at (he committee stage to move an amendment in this connection. The amendment would enable a railwayman to become a candidate for Parliament. Ho would bo given leavo of absence if he went through tho form of askiiiK tlio permission of the Minister. While on leavo of absence he would not get any „av and as it would bo impossible to Have him "serving two masters lio would, if olectcd, cease to 1)0 a Civil S °Mr nn G. Mitchell (Wellington South) asked tho Prime Minister whether the Into strike would be allowed tto affect the superannuation of the men. Mr Massey: "Nobody would ever think of'taking any notice of wlmt took place at the timo of the stnko. Jhe irimc Minister added that in tho opinion oi illio Crown Lav Office legislation was not necessary to ensure that tlio superannuation would not be affected but if 'there was a doubt in tlio mind of any member ho would liavo tho matter nut beyond Inll question. . When the Houso went intfo Committoe the Primo Minister moved an amendment providing that notwithstanding anything to tho contrary in section 24 of the Legislature Act, 1908, a member of lihe Department should not be disqualified from being, iv candidate for election as a membor of Parliament by reason of tho fact that ho was a Civil Sorvant as defined in the section, if he had been granted leave of absence for tho purpose oi onnbling liim to ttccejrti nomination ami contest tlio election. „ , , The Chairman (Mr. A. S Malcolm) ruled that as this; was an amendment of the Legislature Act it could not bo moved as an addition to tho prosent Bill. Tho Primo Minister stated that lie wouldi move tho amendment when a Legislative Amendment Bill was undor consideration later in tho session. Ho would be prepared to tiavo it apply to tlio Public Service gonorally. . Mr. Holland (Bullor) moved an amend- | ment depriving the Minister of Eailwajs ! of the right to veto i!ho decisions of tho ! Railways Appeal Board. Sir William Hemes stated that ho | had offered, when Minister of Railways, to I abandon tlio right of veto it tlio DBpait. ! ment had representation on i»io Appeal Board. '!> Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants had rei used this off oi. ' Jlr. 'Massey said ®S was prepared to stand by his predecessors oiler. Hut ho could not accept tlio wiiendiuolit. If tho Minister had no right of \oto and no representation on the board, ho would have no control of the servico at all. Mr Voitcli (Wanganui) suggested that I lie Minister should agroo to waive Ins ri.'ht of appoal when tlio board was unanimous'. It was true that, at present iTie two elected members could ovor-rulo the Magistrate who sat as chairman of U Tho oft amem!mont wai rejected by 33 V °!\?to tho Bill had left Conunitteo some technical amendments worn made by Clnvernor-General's message. T'lio Bill was passed attor somo furthor debftio. .