H.—s

92

No. lll.—Regulations of the New Zealand Railway Commissioners. The New Zealand Railway Commissioners, in pursuance of the powers conferred by " The Government Railways Act, 1887," section 63, do hereby make the following regulations for the engagement, pay, and promotion of persons entering the service of the New Zealand Railway Commissioners as cadets, porters, shunters, labourers, cleaners, platelayers, and apprentices, that is to say,— Regulations. Applications must be made by the candidate in his own handwriting, on the form to be obtained from the Railway Commissioners, Wellington. Applications must state the date of the candidate's birth, of which such proof must be given as the Commissioners require. Applications should be accompanied by certificates of educational attainment and of character. When any candidate is selected by the Commissioners to fill any vacancy, before he can be appointed he will be required to undergo a medical examination, and may be rejected if found physically or mentally unfit. Applications must be addressed to the Railway Commissioners. They will be recorded in the Railway Commissioners' offices. When vacancies occur candidates will be selected from among those applicants who are then within the prescribed age. The candidate with the best qualifications will be selected for the vacancy, and, if the qualifications of any number of candidates appear to be equal, the Commissioners may require the candidates to undergo a competitive examination in such subjects as may be prescribed, and the Commissioners may select the candidates in order of merit. Selected candidates taken into the employment of the Commissioners will be taken on probation only (except apprentices) for the first three years of their service. They may be discharged at any time by a week's notice from any authorised officer of the Commissioners if they are found unsuitable. Upon completion of the three years' probation the Commissioners may discharge the candidate, or may appoint him permanently. The candidate must find such guarantee of fidelity as the Commissioners may require. No person will be eligible as porter, shunter, labourer, platelayer, or cleaner, who has not an education equal to the Fourth Standard of the Government schools, or as cadet who cannot pass an examination equivalent to the Sixth Standard of the Government schools. Increases in pay and promotion will in all cases depend upon good conduct and careful attention to duties. Increases in pay are liable to be disallowed on account of insubordination, neglect, or incompetence. Apprentices entering the Government railway-shops must not be under fourteen years, or exceed seventeen years of age last birthday. The apprenticeship will not run after the apprentice is twenty-one years old. The apprentice shall be indentured to such railway officer as the Commissioners direct, and the indentures will be transferred to such other officer as the Commissioners direct if the Commissioners remove the master during the currency of such indentures. Rates of pay, — Per week. First year ... ... ... ... ... ... ss. Second year ... ... ... ... ... ... 7s. Third year .. ... ... ... ... ... 9s. Fourth year ... ... ... ... ... ... 12s. Fifth year ... ... ... ... ... ... 15s. Sixth year ... ... ... ... ... ... 18s. Seventh year ... ... ... ... ...- ... 21s. Any apprentice who before the age of eighteen shall pass the Junior Civil Service Examination, and before the age of twenty shall pass the senior examination, shall, so far as opportunities admit, be taught the business of a mechanical engineer. Porters, shunters, labourers, platelayers, and cleaners—Age not to be under sixteen years nor over nineteen years last birthday. Rates of pay, — Per day. Sixteen years ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 0 Seventeen years ... ... ... ... ..3 6 Eighteen years... ... ... ... ... ... 4 0 Nineteen years... ... ... ... ... ... 4 6 Twenty years ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 0 Twenty-one years ... ... ... ... ... 5 6 Cadets' age not to be under fourteen, or over seventeen years last birthday. Rates of pay, — £ First year ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 Second year ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 Third year ... ... ... ... ... ... 80 Fourth year ... ... ... ... ... ... 95 Fifth year ... ... .. ... ... ... 110 Cadets who pass the Junior Civil Service Examination will be allowed to count three months' service for it, and cadets who pass the Senior Civil Service Examination will be allowed to count one year's service, and the dates of promotion will be earlier by those periods. The Common Seal of the New Zealand Railway Commissioners was hereunto affixed this twenty-first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine, in the presence of J. P. Maxwell. ) „ . . , W. M. Hannay, J Commiss i°ners. (^-)