THE RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION SCHEME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 31, 10 December 1897, Page 15

THE RAILWAY CLASSIFICATION SCHEME.

[We are not responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]

♦ TO THE EDITOR N.Z. TABLET. Sir,—lt seems strange that a Liberal Government should be responsible for a scheme such as that recently introduced with a view to the classification of its employees. In the railway department one regulation will certainly weigh very hard on a most deserving branch of the service. It seems a railway guard, no matter what his qualification, must not hope to get beyond the position of guard during the term of his natural life. The injustice of this regulation is all the more acute, as a number of guards have been encouraged to look forward to the position of station master providing they acquire a knowledge of telegraphy and book-keeping Cadets who graduate from the sixth standard into the railway offices have gone through the same curriculum as those who go on to the railway platform, and often are not as proficient as the others, yet the former may look forward to becoming station masters some time or another, whilst the others must be content to rough it. Sometimes a qualified guard, who is capable of undertaking the work of a station master, finds the life of a guard not so conducive to health, whereas if he had his claim allowed he might be able to do effective service for many years in charge of a station. There is no hope of relief for such a one, he must wear himself out in the public service ; whilst some young Government-made gent with cuffs and collar, who perhaps was the dunce of his class, gets pitch-forked over the heads of men with families depending on them. There is something wrong somewhere, and it is to be hoped the Seddon Government will not persist in a course which will alienate from it a large and intelligent body of supporters.—l am, etc., Observer. [We entirely share our correspondent's surprise at the Kailway ' Classification Scheme of the Government. We are in a position to say that in the railway service itself it has caused most intense and almost universal dissatisfaction. The grievance specially alluded to by our correspondent is a most glaring one, and the gross injustice involved in such a state of things cannot be too vigorously protested against. We will be glad if those of our readers who may have an opportunity of becoming intimately acquainted with the working of the scheme will point out any other anomalies that may be brought under their notice. It is only by free and open ventilation that wrcngs are brought to light and redress ultimately secured, and we gladly throw our columns open to a full discussion of the 6eheme. — Ed. N.Z. Tablet.]