THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12639, 28 October 1905, Page 5

THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

THE ELECTIONS CLOSE AT HAND.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 27. In the House this afternoon Sir J- ' G. Ward made a statement indicating: what is proposed to be done in connection with the alterations in the pay and -'" other matters connected with the Railway Department. He said it is pro- -- posed to grant an increase of 6d perday to all sihur.ters, steremen, horse— drivers, porters, labourers, juniorwatchmen, crissing and bridge keepers,, machinists, strikers, hokiers-up, fettlers,, furnace and helpers, leading labourers,, skilled labourers, train examiners, Jifters. coalmen in charge of steam pumps,- . ■ coalmen, shop enginemen, cleaners, don— '• key engine-drivers, bridgemen, gangers, surfacemen, miners, platelayers, juniorplatelayers, fencers, signal erectors, and, linemen It is proposed also to makean increase of Is per day to surfacemenThe total number of men who this provision of 6d per day will apply to is. 3349, and tlhe additional Is per day forsurfacemen applies to 1050 men. The* total number,' therefore, affected by theincrease of wages proposed is 4399. In.addition to tQiis I have given the neces— ' sary authority for granting to enginemen, firemen , and guards, signalmen and gasmen, an eight-hours' day insteacE of nine hours. That, I may say, comes- ' into operation .on the Ist April next,, and I shall indicate why that is necessary. The com cessions now indicated byme will have the effect of increasing; -. the minimum wage of railway men to8s per day to men who are capable of" ' ' doing a full day's work. Bridge-keepers-and crossing-keepers and watchmen wilt receive an increase of 3s- per week on-. their present rate of wages. In addition- \ to the increase of'6d and Is per day ■'■ and 3s per week, as well as the fixing; - of an eight hours' day,, there will also- ■ ->:- be provision on the supplementary esti— .' mates fotr the payment of. ah-extra shilling per night lodging allowance to en- *.' gineers, firemen, maintenance andf. -, bridgemen. This, I may say,.dates from "" the Ist April last. The reason for that;, ,■? is because, while I felt it necessary to- "; hold over the payment of anything t pz-omised on behalf of the Government,. with the consent, of course, of my col— J leagues, I made this promise of Is pernight to the Amalgamated Society of . Railway Servants, and I intended it to>

come into operation qt once, but I.had,, however, to wait for provision being; made on the Estimates, and I am nor • keeping faith in the matter. No doubfcv the men have been waiting to see my promise fulfilled 'before now, but fchey will, I am sure, as sensible men recognise that one has to wait for the propertime to have the necessary finanoiat. authority. I may also say that the^ Government decided a short time ago to fix the irate for the men receiving 7a» per day—that is ballast men and others-'

in that 'category—efc Is per hour,. • < which, vmdesr an eightiiours' day, give* -' them Bs. per . day instead of 7s which* . , they formerly received. Under the re- v gulationsat present existing they would' •by this arrangement lose certain privileges which'they enjoy. This to a certain extent, would minimise -'the benefit.

OKthevpanqession,. but I intend to pro-' vide that they should again come within; the regulations entitling them to par- ' ticjpate in the privileges granted" to or* enjoyed by the permanent staff. ■ -lit addition to this I may say that from. the nest railway period, that is No- '.„ - vember, the men-in the railway work- ■ shops throughout ihe colony will be paid, fortnightly instead of monthly. I do* ; not think that it was ever contemplated or desired that this arrangement of fortnightly pay would apHy to the first; * d

division or to others outsiae the workshops. The men in the workshops aroma different category to the men employed in the first and second divisions,, ■ i and this alteration is intended to apply " to them only. To ensure the payment, of wages fortnightly in the workshopsalone involves an extra vote this year of £9500. In other words, it means that one extra pay day as forced into this:

years operations, which, under the old. conditions, would shave come into next. , year's. Members'. will see that, on the- • face of it, dt is a very right and properthing to enable these men to change the* " ' pay day to fortnightly instead of monthly, in view of the fact that house rent- : and o.ist of living have so largely increased. Regarding the date of the- r coming into operation of these different rates, it is proposed to bring the in- ,s crease of 6d per day to the various men: of the second division that I (have men- \ tioned, and to the surfacemen from the* ' Ist of November' next. The fixing of \>. the eight 'hours' day for the enginenien,. ■ -/% firemen, guards, gasmen, and signalmen <-\ will come into operation on the Ist of ..S April next. The amount that is- involved in tihe6e increases in wages whioK ' ' I ihave indicated, which come into- >; operation on the let of November next, ' ■ Z. will involve an annual expenditure of" £43,973 and witih tihe additional amount required to make provision for the eight, hours' day for enginemen, firemen^ guards, signalmen, and gasmen, whicib will involve an additional expenditure*- ; of £21,000 per annum, the total sun* ; involved in the increases will amount to> £63,973 pea* annum, to the members of - - the second division of railway employees.. 1 ~. Members may ask whether, as Mini- ' *' stei' in charge of the Department, I feel_ I am justified in making this recommendation to the House, but I have no hesitation in saying that I am justified in; doing so. I say so for this reason, that '< members must recognise that thougnT^-1-this -represents large figures, when it iss considered that it is spread over a ■'<■ tremendous service, numbering now over - i 2000 employees, and when you commence-. , § to adjust trates of pay so as to bring/- .4 them fairly into line "with what they ' *'% are entitled to, the reason for the jus* — ■*£ tice of the increase will be apparent.. •"-* Then it must be remembered that the- ■,-" i*evenue of our railways is very largey and is increasing enormously. Thisr . matter has naturally required a great*1 .- deal of investigation, and a oonsiderableairount of anxiety before arriving at a. * decision as to wihat I was justified in* recommending to my colleagues. My recommendations have received tle> unanimous consent and approval of my colleagues. lam sure the users of the- ■-? railways throughout the colony wJh>- 4, have been given largely increased facili-* t ties in recent yeairs, will not grudge the- -? railway employees the benefits of the- -| pi-opoeals I have sketched to the House.. ■ - - • -4