RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 18 October 1901, Page 3

RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION.

[OUB PARLIAMENTARY BEPOETEB.]

Wellington, This Day.

A statement on the subject of the Railway Classification and Superannuation Bills, was made by the Minister of Railways in connection with the Railway Estimates. The amended classification scheme would, he said, be brought down on Thursday or Friday at the latest, and would involve an increase in wages and salaries of about £28,000 a year. It would also remove a great many of the anomalies that existed in the service, and

it changed the system of grading of officers, and generally placed them on a better footing. He thought the measure was one that would commend itself to members generally, and he had every hope that the railways’ staff would be well satisfied with it. He should have been very glad to have sent the Bill for the consideration of the employers, but there would not bo time for that now. The Government had agreed to the Superannuation Bill being introduced, and he would move it pro forma and circulate it among members of the House, and among the members of the service. The employees had a right to be consulted inasmuch as they were contributors to tho scheme; and he had every reason to hope that it would commend itself to the staff as a whole. It was of great importance to a large number of man in the service, as tho majority of them, under existing conditions, had no provision in case of accident or death.