RAILWAY WAGES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3462, 16 April 1920, Page 2

RAILWAY WAGES.

.Ax.M.'ALGA;\[ATED OFFICERS I)ISSATISFIED.

WELLI.\’GTO,\'

April 4

Three eontferenees with the I'uilW:ljy" men is representa.tives are ‘being held this wee}; by the ,i’rime Minister. The first, which was attended by Mr R. Hampton (_president of the Amalgamated society of R.:iilwa_V Servants) and Mr M. J. '.\l:ick (general secretary), commenced on I\londa'y and was continued for several hours to-day. Vpon its conclusion, Mr Hampton, interviewed by your correspondent, sumniarised the result in one word, “‘abortive." He qualified this to some extent by remarking that, to be fair to HlO Minister and the Department, he ought to mention that one concession had been obtained, it having been agreed to pay wages of maintenance men on “wet or dry,” the present practice being to stop their pay when .the weather does not pe'rmit of working. “The Prime i\[ini.~‘ter," continued Mr Hampton. “has also ag'l'ee«,l to consider some other points with the general manager, but tllest,~ haxie not been elluiiiel'hte(l.’’ ‘ “On the \'itall‘\_-' important question of wages,” declared the railwaymen’s president, “the conference was abortive, for the I\[inister and General Manager, who attended, sheltered tlienirselves behind .\[r .Tu.<tice String~ er’.~z report. and refuse to re-open the the wages Question excepting under its terms which provide t.'o_r a review periodiealy in aeordanoe with fluctuations in the cost‘ of living. This attitude on Mr 3;[asse_\,"s part is surprising, iniview of the fact that, although )i[r Justice b‘tl'inger‘s report proposed 2. -10 per cent increase for the lowe.<t—paid men, diminishing proportionally for higher paid-employees, it is only a few days since Mr I\'l-asey himself published ’figures, on the authority of the Board of Trade, showing that the cost of living , has. increased ($2 per cent during the war period. \Ve are not: anxious to in« crease the 3[in'istér"s dittieulties in making a settlement, of this serious dis~ pute, the:*et‘ore we are quite pl'_ep:ll'ed to accept his latest figures showing a 62 per cent rise, but we are c-,el'tainl§9 not going to pe:'nlunen‘tly prejudice our members by accepting such an unfair and inaccurate basis as was adopted by Mr Justice Stringer in his report. We are quite willing‘, if the latest figLll‘es are adopted, to stand by the proposal that wages should be periodically adjusted in accordance with the cost of living, but as the Railway Department lias made it very plain that they will. take the first opportunity of seetiring it reduction in the bonus when the Gorermnent Statisticians figures indicate that it is due, we are determined to see that the plan starts on a fair basis. If the cost of living drops by 25 or 30 per cent nobody will be more pleased than myself, while the (}oV'ernmen't. will be welcome to any

I'oadjustnl(mt; but any reduction starfing from tho low basis of Mr Justice Stl'ingol*’s I'opol't would be gx'ossl_y unfair to thc men.” “W'lmt will b(“HIC soCiety’s next nlo\'e‘?” w:1;<. :1 question which Mr Hampton was asked. He replied that the dr?pur:lt'ion had requested Fll6 l\liinist'el‘ and the General Maxlugm' ‘ro refer the displlto to :1 tri--1u1f11:11 sci" 11p.undc-1* the to‘rnls of fhe ]'n<]u.x'tl'iul I)'1:~'p11tos Invostigzxtion Act. This v.'«_»uld In,‘ vonstituted by three I'o- - from each side. who vxould 11(m:in:).:‘o :1 ch2lil‘man. Pl'o\-'ision i:~' mndv for’-;-_ ballo'l' to be ofiicinlly taken among; the men concerned as to uc<‘~ptum=.e or otherwise of the final :I\\‘:n‘d, and. if it is 170g-afivod, the men are at ]il,wm)'. -glffor complying with c<‘rf:lin p1'o(-,erh1nr, to cease work. “Mfe:um'llilo,” conéludod Ml‘ Hamp-

2:. “the s?l'il\'(‘ ballot‘ :Imollgoul'nlenl

'l~;'.- is lwing: t:11{on, and will conclude an .\‘:ltur«l2=.y; lmf. wl1:1t0ve1' is the I'o- - \\'v .<l1:1ll take no drastic steps if tl:-9: (iz>\,'(>='lunwllt will _£_ll’2llll‘ 0111' I'o- - f'«>'r *1 l‘.(‘2l!'illf_'j ml(lm' ‘rho In(l\lStl'i:‘xl ’|)?..;<;>u.l«‘.< Act. The Primo Minister llus prmnisocl to I‘(§ply fn this roquesf \\'iHlin one week.”