The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1919. RAILWAY SALARIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1919, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1919. RAILWAY SALARIES.

The widespread discontent among the lower grade men in the railway service, coupled with the numerous resignations that have taken place, amounting to a total of 1263 trained men in the last two years, affords testimony that the men had grievances which called for a remedy in the direction of increased pay and prospects of promotion." The public are well aware how largely they are dependent on the railways, and the feeling exists that the men should receive a fair and just deal, hence the interest taken in the Railways Amendment Bill, which has occupied the attention of the. House lately. The proposals contained in the Bill, though not as satisfactory as could be wished, may fairly be taken as a step in the right direction. The Government set up a board of heads of departments and the Public Service Commissioner to review all salaries, and to compare those of one department with another, and this board, having regard to the length of service and duties, recommended certain salaries, which were embodied in the Bill. Unfortunately, there is no other department that can fittingly be compared with the Railway Department as regards the lower division, so that it is clear that any recommendations based on comparative methods were not sound in principle, the result being a chorus of protests from the various branches of the associations representing the Jower division men against the salaries of the executive officers being raised while the Second Division were expected to carry on with wages which they claimed did not allow sufficient for a comfortable living. It was on this point that . the debate on the Railways Committee report and on the second reading turned, while the divisions when the Bill was in committee covered the same ground. Sir Joseph *Ward strongly championed the cause of the Second Division, and eventually, in committee, divided the Hous.e on the matter, 'but, owing to the, peculiar tactics of the Labor members, his efforts were defeated. There appears to have been -a fairly general concurrence in paying Mr. Hiley's successor the same salary as Mr. Hiley received—£3ooo a year—but objection was raised to increasing the pay of some of the other higher officers by £SOO a year while that of similar officials in the Post Office, the Treasury, and other departments was left untouched. Another reason for opposition to these large increases was the extra burden they would place on the superannuation fund, as several of the recipients were approaching the retiring age. While it is quite right that the men of the First Division should be adequately remunerated, it has to be remembered that the lives of the public and the smooth working of both passenger and goods traffic is mainly dependent on the efficiency, care and vigilance of the men of the lower grade. The Premier admitted it was, no doubt, true that certain railway servants had a difficulty in paying their way, but "so had other people in the country." Mr. Massey must be well aware that two wrongs do not make a right, and his platitude is no justification for continuing the hardship among the lower grade men in order that the upper grade may live in luxury and retire on superlative pension. He claimed that to pay the bonuses given to the men it had been found necessary to increase the freights and fares by 21 per cent. If that is so,, it will be interesting to know what further increases will be necessary . to-me&t th§.large additions to the

pay of the First Division men, also a further bonus to the men of the Second Division to permit of their living in comfort. While justice should be done to the higher grade men in. the service, it should also be meted out to those lower in the scale—the men who have to bear the hard work and severe conditions inherent to their employment. It is a pity, therefore, that the Bill, which removes some grievances, should not have covered the whole ground .and removed the present causes of dissatisfaction, as well as of disorganisation. Had the Government retained in the Bill the clause providing for promotion from one grade, class, or division to another, the concession would have been acclaimed as a worthy example of a' progressive democratic spirit—one,moreover, that would destroy the dead level principle and give an incentive to young men of brains and genius to join the service. Its deletion must be regarded as a retrograde step, and an indication that the higher officials resent the presence of such men in the service, preferring the present rut of stagnation methods which the public are up against at every turn. The great need of the Railways Department is a commercial manager—the very best business man for the purpose that can be obtained in the Dominion. Obviously such an official would not interfere in the running of the trains, and therefore should be independent of the General Manager, and directly responsible to the Minister. It would be his business to become acquainted with the requirements of the public, and "as far as possible to see that they were met; also to encourage business and help to make the railways pay, besides making suggestions in the best interests of the service and the public. Apparently the only argument in favoi* of retaining the Minister's power of veto is that the department is not represented on the Appea 11 Board. The remedy is obvious ar . • Possibly the next instalment if railway service legislation may remedy most of the grievances that the present measure has left untouched.