I.—6a.

28

A. H. o'LOIKiHLEN.

and am enabled to say from my own knowledge that the duties and responsibilities of the Railway officer is not only equal to but greater than the Postal officer. That being so, we urge, can there be any reason why our services to the Dominion should not be equally remunerated. 3. Mr Ramsay.] There are many Railway officers, I presume, who could take charge of postal offices without any further training?— Yes, many of our officers could. 4. But could a Postal officer perform the railway work without further training? —No, I have never known in my experience of a Postal officer who could take charge of a railway-office. 5. You dealt in your statement with Stationmasters and Goods Agents? —Yes. 6. And those have been compared with officers in the Post and Telegraph Department?— Yes. 7. You think that is a fair comparison?— Yes. 8. Hon. Mr. Millar.] How many Stationmasters could take charge of an important postoffice? —I could not say how many, but a very large percentage of our Stationmasters could. I have a lot of clerks in my office, and a number of them could take charge of a combined office. 9. But I said an important post-office? —Yes. 10. Are you aware what the duties at an important post-office are? —Well, what am 1 to understand by "an important post-office "? 11. Say, any post-office like Palmerston North? —Yes, I think they could. 12. Have you any idea what the duties there are? —They have similar duties to what the postal duties are at railway-stations. 13. We will have a Postal officer to give evidence in that connection. You are Goods Agent in Auckland ? —Yes. 14. Can you give me any instances where Goods Agents have suggested methods for improving the working on the railways? —Yes. 15. How many? —I did myself. 16. What was that? —I made a suggestion with regard to the economical working of wagons. 17. Who initiated that? —I suppose it was the conference of Traffic Managers that initiated the details. 18. As a matter of fact, Goods Agents only reply to questions which the District Managers submitted. No Goods Agent started that idea first. Can you tell me of any case where Goods Agents have in New Zealand suggested improvements which were going to benefit the railway system, and, if so, what were they? —I have mentioned that one in connection with the economical working of wagons. 19. Were you instrumental in bringing it under the notice of the Department?—l think so. 20. When was that? —Two or three years ago. 21. Was it not established in Dunedin prior to that? —It may have been. 22. Were you not asked by Mr. Piper to give him your opinion, and go into this scheme and tell him what you could in regard to the lines laid down? —Mr. Piper never spoke to me on the point. 23. Nor communicated with you? —No. I discussed the matter with my District Manager. 24. Did he submit the point to you?—No; I discussed the matter with him before he submitted it to me. 25. Have you any idea what that scheme has saved the Department, say, in your own district? I think, so far as my station is concerned, we have saved about £1,500 a year in labour alone. That is not counting the shunting. 26. That is irrespective of the increased haulage-power? —Yes. I was speaking to Mr. Piper recently when in Dunedin with reference to the saving, and he estimated that the saving was about £10,000 a year for the whole of New Zealand. 27. Mr. Ross.] Can you tell me if officers generally are invited by the management to make suggestions —is there any rule on the point? —Not that lam aware of —nothing beyond the ordinary rule. 28. Do you know of cases where officers have made suggestions, and received scant courtesy at the hands of the management?—l would not like to say that I remember any particular case. 29. Do you think any suggestions made by any officers would be embraced warmly by the management?—Of course,'that is a question as to whether the Department would consider the suggestion a good one or not. 30. Do you know if Stationmasters still submit a progress report at the end of the fourweekly period showing the condition of the traffic obtaining at the station, and submit reasons for the increase or decrease in the traffic, as the case may be? —That is still done. 31. Have you ever known the management having taken any steps to remedy the losses or to recover the losses which are brought under their notice through the progress reports?— No. 32 Although this progress report is furnished to the Department, so far as the average officer knows, it may go into the waste-paper basket?—T could not say what is done with it. 33. You have never seen any result of it? —No. 34. Being in charge of a district, would you think it necessary to draw the attention of the Department to the state of the traffic? —Yes. 35 Say wool was going down a river by boat instead of going by the railway, you would draw the Department's attention to that in the progress report at the end of the month?— Yes, or write a special report—either one or the other. 36 Are you of the opinion that discipline is being impaired throughout the service through the lack of sympathy between the management and the officers?— Yes, I think perhaps it may be. 37 Or in other words, that the officers are not taken into the confidence of the management or treated as partners in a concern, and consequently—l am referring to the younger officersare inclined to drift with the Second Division, and have sympathies against the management instead of being with them?—l could not say that I have of my own knowledge noticed that.