N.S.W RAILWAY LOSS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1930, Page 5

N.S.W RAILWAY LOSS

NEW COMMISSIONER'S PLANS

(Australian Press Association)

SYDNEY, Ala rob 21

A number of the Railway Unions today inter viewed Air W. J. Cleary, the new Chief Railway Commissioner ot New South Wales, seeking information as to the Government’s intentions in the direction of meeting the heavy railway losses. Air Cleary informed the Unions that it was intended to revert to the forty-eight hours week throughout the services, and to call upon a largo proportion of the professional officers to forego one week’s work in twelve or thereabouts. -Mr Cleary said the present drift would simply have to end, just as it would if private interests owned the railway. The employees, lie said, would need to. face the facts, as the alternative to tile forty-eight hour week was wholesale- dismissals, which would be had for business and for the countrv.

The Commissioner then caused the greatest surprise and pleasure when he announced that lie intended to set an example by devoting almost half of his own salary, which is five thousand yearly, to tho alleviation of the worst cases of distress in the railway service.

In illustrating the extent of the railway drift, Air Cleary said that there was a loss of fifteen thousand sterling on the passenger fares, and a loss of thirty-five thousand sterling on the freight last week, in addition to a loss of over seven thousand sterling on the tramways.