SIR ERIC GEDDES

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1920, Page 1

SIR ERIC GEDDES

(By Electric Telegraph —Co m’ighLJ

LONDON, Jan. 21

Sir Eric Geddes, the Minister of Transport, in a speech at Cambridge city, dwelt upon the Railway settlement as a serious financial burden for the companies that would call for economy to support. He asserted that if the men had not accepted the Governin' I .it's recent tentative agreement proposals they would have strupk the severest blow possible at the principle of collective bargaining with the Trades Unions. He went on to ray that the settlement represented a permanent increase in the railway companies’ wages bill, compared with the old pre-war rates, of a total of forty seven millions in wages for all the railway men in the United Kingdom annually to a hundred millions sterling. This would mean an increase of thirty-four per cent, notwithstanding any fall there would be in the cost of living This calculation of the increase represented, of course, the estimated additional cost of the Railway men’s wages added to the effect of the improved rates, hours, and con ditions of service.'

As the cost of living fell, of course, the Railway costs would fall, which reductions, coupled to economies through unified management should reduce the present expenditure It was the increased expenditure, he said, which caused recent increased rates to be imposed. He believed the railway companies could, despite the new permanent wages bill, return to the level which would enable to thrive as of yore, and compete in the world’s markets without any undue handicap whatever. He was assured, ho added, by the men’s leaders that the managements could henceforth expect close co operation from the workers. This should release the managements from the consideration of unending wages disputes. It should enable proper attention to be paid to more economical and efficient management of the lines, which would have direct money result for the companies.