RAILWAY ENQUIRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1924, Page 4

RAILWAY ENQUIRY.

OI’KXS AT WELLINGTON

[by tklegham—Mr. press association

WELLINGTON, Juno 1G

The Tfnrird of Inquiry set up by the Minister of Railways to enquire into liiul make reeoinmendaioiis upon the fates of nay and conditions of empioinieitt in the second division railway service, commenced its sitting to-day. Opening the case for the men. Mr Connelly said that the whole trend of legislation in New Zealand during the past ten years had been to reduce the hours of work, and to improve the standard of living for working men. He quoted from the Year Book to show that out of II trades ill New Zealand, 17 were working 44 hours a week or less; 14 were working IS hours or more, and often were working between 41 and 48. The tendency since 1914 had been to reduce the hours of work and not to extend them. The fact that the Department had sought to place the railwaymon on a longer working week, he submitted, was it confession of its inability, or incapahlencss, of managing the railways properly and running them efficiently and economically in the interests of the p.codpie of the Dominion. He referred to the fact that the Department had a monopoly of railway transport, and that it did not have to pay dividends to shareholders. He went on to deal separately with the three branches of railway work, in the workshops, and traffic and maintenance offices. The workshops were granted a 41 hours’ week in 1918, three years before the other members of the service. That was an indication the Depnrement recognised that the conditions of the workshops men wore exactly the same as those obtaining outside the railway service. ’I he hours worked by tiic New Zealand railway compared most unfavourably with those obtaining in the Australian service. In trades outside the service in the Dominion, all overtime work done in excess of the hours- specified in the awards, counted a.s overtime, ■which was paid for at the rate of time and a-half for the first lour hours, and double time thereafter. COUNCIL OF CHURCHES VIEW. CHRISTCHURCH. Juno TO.

The Council of Christian Congregations regrets that the Government antieinati'd the findings of the Commission that is now appointed for the settlement of the railway dispute, by imposing tin* 48-hour week upon the men. since the 48-lmur week was an item of file dispute, and since it was generally understood that the dispute was to be adjusted by the Commi.sion. this Council believes that the action of the Government was unwise, and was not calculated to secure that all-round contentment which is necessary to good work.

Such was the motion moved hv the Rev S. I.awry at a meeting of the Council of Christian (ongrogntions tonight. The mover explained that the railwayman had communicated with the Council, drawing attention to the fact that the Government had imposed the •18 hour week.

Rev L. J. Archibald, in seconding the motion, said lie thought it was a matter of had taste on the Government’s part. Tlie Chairman (Archbishop Julius) said it would l>o impertinent on the part of the Council to discuss the matter, as it was snhiudice. However, the Council was in its rights in commenting on the fact that the Government had anticipated tho work of the Commission by insisting on the 48-hour week. The motion was carried without further comment.