RAILWAY STAFFING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 212, 26 November 1927, Page 5

RAILWAY STAFFING

MINISTER EXPLAINS BILL THIRD READING PASSED (THE SUN'S Parliamentary Reporter.) j WELLINGTON, Friday. j In moving the committal of the , Railways Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives this evening, the Alinister of Railways, the Rt Hon. J. r,. Coates, said it made no difference jin administration as far as transfer and promotions were concerned. The Bill followed the recommendations oi the committee set up to investigate ; this phase of the service. With these ; recommendations the Cabinet did not j agree entirely, but after consideration j it was thought best to give full effect i to the committee’s suggestions. In future all appointments would be I provisional and would not be made | final until all chance of appeal was re- j I moved. Regrading would take place | every five years. Air. Coates dealt with ! the constitution of the Appeal Board ; j of seven members, five of whom were ; |to be elected. He stressed the point ; , that they wanted a board that would , hold the balance fairly between the j ! men on the one hand and the public on : I the other. The chairman, lie thought, j should be a magistrate, unless there i was someone else satisfactory to both . parties. Air. Coates made it clear that it was not the intention to bring outsiders into the department if there was j ! anyone in the department capable of | • doing the work. He thought the Ap- ■ peal Boa.rd would work out satisfac- ! torily and that the railway associations i were not justified in their alarm. The Leader of the Opposition, Air. H. ; E. Holland, said he understood there I would be no appeal in the case of posi- ; I tions to which th< . ittached I i exceeded £765 a year, and he did not think that would be satisfactory. He j believed the service desired the presi ent chairman of the Appeal Board, a ; ! magistrate, to remain, and he saw no ! I reason why it should not be laid down I in the Act that the chairman should be a magistrate. • Air. Coates said that was the underj standing. | Then.” said Air. Holland, I take | it if the service wants a magistrate the Alinister will agree.” j Arr. Coates: Yes. The Bill was put through committee, i read a third time and passed.