GIVES HALF SALARY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 928, 22 March 1930, Page 9

GIVES HALF SALARY

AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY HEAD HELPS DISTRESS MEN FACE LOWER WAGES SYDNEY, Friday. A’number of delegates from the railway unions today interviewed Mr. W. J. Cleary, Chief Railway Commissioner, seeking to learn the Government’s intentions in the direction of meeting the heavy losses on the railway. Mr. Cleary informed them that it was intended to. revert to the 48 hours’ week throughout the service, and to call upon a large proportion of I the professional officers to forgo one | week’s work in 12 or thereabouts. The i present drift simply had to have an i end, just as it would if- private inter- ! ests owned the railways. The employees would need to face the facts, as the alternative waa j wholesale dismissals, which would be serious for business and the country He then caused the greatest sur prise and pleasure when he announced that he intended to set an example bj devoting almost half of his salary which is £5,000 a year, to the alle viation of the worst cases of distress ; in the service. In illustrating the extent of the rail : way losses, he said there was a loss of £15,000 on passenger fares and s j loss of £35,000 in freight last week i in addition to a loss of over £7,000 oi ; the tramways.