THE RAILWAYS.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 November 1918, Page 6

THE RAILWAYS.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. TRAVELLING FACILITTIES TO BE • «■ . RESTORED. jWAGES QUESTION TO BE GONE INTO. WELLINGTON, Nov 28. In the House of Representatives this afternoon the Hon. W. K. Herries laid the Railways Statement on the Table. The Minister, in reply to a lengthy discussion, said that now the war was over and the men would soon be coming back, the Department hoped at an early date to restore some of the travelling facilities, of which the public had been deprived owing to the necessity for war economy. Regarding the relations of the Department with the staff, he outlined concessions recently granted to the men, claiming that no State in Australia had done better in this respect than New Zealand, It had been considered better to meet the increased cost of living by a system pf war than by permanent increases jn wageg Jout as the war was over ; and the bonuses would be expiring, he would be quite prepared to ,tneet representatives of the men and discuss the changed aspect of the situation. H« •justified the payment at half fa'tes of 1 men on sick leave, owing to influenza, ( On the ground that the men fii xho I Second Division had never prevf' ously received any sick pay, but the Department nad made a Onerous offer. He praised the loyalty of the men, both during the war and the epidemic, and Baid the relations between the Department and the staff had during the past few years been of a most pleasant character.