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Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 338, 25 April 1928, Page 16

REGRADING OF OFFICERS AUCKLAND STATIONMASTER’S CASE „ (From. Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Railway Appeal Board is sitting in Wellington to-day. Among the cases to be heard will be that of the present stationmaster at Auckland, who is appealing against His transfer to Wellington under the recent regrading. The stationmaster of Frankton Junction was appointed to Auckland. The board has something like a hundred appeals to deal with arising out of regrading and the decisions will have an important bearing on the future of promotions and regrading. In the current number of the “N.Z. Railway Officers’ Advocate,” the official organ of the Railway Officers’ Institute, is published correspondence which has passed between the institute and the Minister of Railways, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, concerning power given to the permanent head of the department concerned to refer an appeal to the Solicitor-General for an opinion. The effect appeared to be that if it were considered that a man, wishing to appeal, had no grounds for so doing, he. would be debarred from appealing. The Minister intimated, however, • that it was not desired to deprive men of their rights, and there the matter rests for the time being until action on the lines indicated is taken, which seems to be improbable. It is interesting to note that the decisions of the Appeal Board, which is composed of one magistrate as chairman ,one representative of the Government and one representative of the appellant’s division in the railway, is apparently binding; there is no appeal from the decision. If the Appeal Board granted any considerable number of appeals this might have serious effect on the railway estimates for the year.