THE RAILWAY DEMANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1919, Page 6

THE RAILWAY DEMANDS.

THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, March 26. The definite assurance given by the Minister for Railways that the rev i.sed schedule of wages and conditions will be placed in the hands of tlie executh es of the three railway workers' societies by March 31 and tliat the increases, when approved by Parliament, will date from April 1, is accepted by the officers of the societies as a rather tardy but none the less welcome recognition of the fact that the railwavmen are in earnest. The railway management, in the meantime, has prepared estimates showing' that the cost of granting all the demands of the societies would exceed £1,500,000, and these estimates are being submitted to' the executives of tlie societies for their consideration. It is easy to gather that the management considers it quite impossible to give the railwaymen all they are asking. But the offer that will be made will represent a very substantial improvement in rates, and some perious effort, it seems, is going to be made to remove or modify the longstanding grievances of the workers in regard to hours. If the revised schedule does not embody all the demands of the railway servants, negotiations are sure to take place. The societies will not easily be persuaded to accept less than they have nsked for, and they are not satisfied that the management's estimates of cost do not err on the side of extravagance. It. appears that in any case the increased payments cannot begin until parliamentary sanction has been obtained, so that several months must elapse.