I.—6a.

20

[a. c. smith.

exercise locomotive control over the lines a distance from their sheds, such as pumping-stations, breakdowns, &c. The Sub-Inspector, Shed Foreman, and Shed Chargemen's duties are confined to the locomotive sheds and yards. In addition there is also a number of Shed Chargemen who are not classed as salaried officers who receive, roughly, about £250 per year. 16. Have you seen the Everley Running Shed? —No, sir. 17. Will you name three sheds in New Zealand which put together would be equal to the Everley Shed? —I believe there are about two hundred engines there and five foremen, besides Shed Chargemen. 18. Mr. Arnold.] I understand you have been in the present grade since 1905? —Yes. Six years last August. 19. And you were acting for three years previous to that?—l was Senior Engineman, and the hitter part of the time I was getting more money that when I was appointed. 20. And doing the same work? —Yes, but with a little less responsibility. 21. Now, iis regards New South Wales: if it can be shown that the salaries paid in New South Wales are less than in New Zealand, in your opinion is that any justification for paying low salaries here?—No, I think myself that New Zealand should stand "on its own," the same as in regard to the Arbitration ami Conciliation Act. 22. .17/-. Witty.] What were you getting before you were promoted—for the three years thai you were senior driver? —1 was allowed during the hitter part an extra four days per month, which brought my salary up to about £219. 23. And now what are you getting? —£220 salary —about £230 including Sunday-time. 24. The Chairman.] What is the average salary of Locomotive Foremen in New Zealand?— In grade 9, £220; and the last Locomotive Foreman was appointed at £100. You would have add them together and divide the total amount by the number of officers. 1 could not say what flu- average is. There are ten in the £220 grade, two in the £355, one in the £400, two'in the £300 grade, and one in the £255 grade. 25. Mr. Ramsay.] What was the lowest salary paid to Locomotive Foremen in 1881?—1 could not tell vuii. I can only go back to the Act of 1896. £210 was the minimum then, and £210 in 1910. JOHN GOODLET McPHERSON examined. (No. 7.) 1. The Chairman.] What are you?—Stationmaster at Woodlands. 2. Have you a statement to make to the Committee?— Yes, I wish to make a statement in regard to Schedule C. The institute contend, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, that where there af-e separate railway-stations and separate post-offices—that is, a town where the railway-station is under the charge of a Railway Stationmaster and the post-office is under the charge of a Postmaster —that no reason can be given why there should be any disparity between the salaries of those two men. Our contention is based on the fact that the Stationmaster has larger responsibilities. He has the safety of the travelling public to consider, the safety of the train-running, the supervision of the men under his charge, and where there is tiny lack of supervision in regard to the duties pertaining to those officers, such as shunters, porters, clerks, and cadets, it may cause great loss to his Department. For instance, a man may set a pair of points wrongly, whereby he may put the through express off the road. You know the rate of speed at which that train runs, ami you can imagine the result. It is not long ago that a pair of points were set wrongly at Core, with the result that one train ran into another, but, fortunately, instead of running into the carriages it struck the trucks. In that case the officer did not have to stand his trial for manslaughter, but it cost the Department hundreds if not thousands of pounds. A Stationmaster may have under him two or three porters whose ditties are to handle the shunting and crossing of trains, while he has his tickets, passengers, and luggage, and everything to supervise, and he is also held responsible for seeing to and allocating the duties to those various men. I put it to 3'ou as commercial men : if a man was in the employ of a large commercial concern, such as the National Mortgage Agency, for instance, is it not a fact that if that man was capable of taking charge of two or three departments, such as the stock, grain, and the auctioneering departments, he would be worth more than a..man who could only take charge of the one department? I want to put it plainly, so that I will not be misunderstood, and therefore I will dwell on that point a little. The Railway combined officer—that is, where the Stationmaster has the combined duties of the Post officer and Telegraphist —has also to attend to the registration of births, deaths, and marriages, old-age pensions, money-order savings-bank. National Provident Fund, and a hundred and one other duties that perhaps it would take me all the afternoon to enumerate. Well, gentlemen, is that man not worth more salary than the man who can only do the post and telegraphicduties? That is the point on which 1 base my arguments. I go further and say that the man who is handling valuable rolling-stock, and on whom devolves the duty of handling it properly, and of seeing that his station and the public are attended to, who has the checking of their luggage and a hundred and one other duties to attend to, such as the supervising of signals, that if we look at the matter fairly and on business lines we cannot get away from the fact that that man is worth more than the man who simply does operating, the taking and forwarding of telegrams, sorting of mails, attending to money-orders, and that sort of thing. The same duties, you will understand, are performed by the Railway officer who is in charge of a combined station; and I do not think it will be questioned for one moment that that man who can combine the two duties and who can run any post-office or telegraphic office outside the chief post-offices is entitled to at least the same salary as the man who can only do the one duty. Now I should like to quote the list of fines in the Postal Department and the Railway Department. The Post Office fine starts at 3d., and works up to 6d'., Is.. 2s. (id., 55.. and 10s. lam not a very old servant, but, taking the Railway fines and looking back, I can only find 2s. (id. as the lowest fine which has been inflicted. I have' heard it stated by men who have had very lengthy service that at one time they could recollect where the fine was Is., but I have not been able to find any instances. You will see