R. W. MCVILLY.I

39

I.—6a.

stations is : Christchurch—lol trains, revenue £92,402. In the next grade, £325-£350 Victoria and £315-£355 New Zealand: Williamson —133 trains, revenue £180,000; Ararat—l 9 trains, revenue £26,000; Stawell —12 trains, revenue £30,900; Seymour —25 trains, revenue £17,345. Those trains are exclusive altogether of goods, but in the case of the New Zealand in the comparison lam making lam putting in all time-table trains, whether goods or passenger. Against that we have Napier, Oamaru, Palmerston North, Timaru, Wellington, and Invercargill, and at the latter place there are 55 trains and the revenue is £76,999. Next grade, £260-£3OO New Zealand, £260-£3OO Victoria: Castlemaine—3o trains, revenue £26,259; Caulfield—2o6 trains, revenue £24,280; Daudenong —47 trains, revenue £15,208; Warrnambool, 19 trains, revenue £32,629; North Melbourne —432 trains, revenue £45,000. Against that you have New Zealand stations such as: Addington—6l trains, revenue £10,534; Ashburton —24 trains, revenue £22,994; Balclutha—23 trains, revenue £20,200; Bluff—lß trains, revenue £29,263; Taihape— 15 trains, revenue £18,492; Woodville —22 trains, revenue £13,302; Wanganui—27 trains, revenue £51,285. Grade £235-£250 Victoria, £240-£255 New Zealand: Newport—l4o trains, revenue £21,676; Richmond —706 trains, revenue, £23,863. Against that you have New Zealand stations such as: Clinton —20 trains, revenue £5,630; Huntly—2o trains, revenue £69,231; Morrinsville —13 trains, revenue £10,460; Waipukurau—lß trains, revenue £10,072. Grade £210-225 Astoria, £210-£220 New Zealand : Burnley—334 trains, revenue £34,000; Essendon —167 trains, revenue £18,260; Footscray—l94 trains, revenue £43,832; Sunshine—s4 trains, revenue £19,231. Against that you have New Zealand stations such as: Abbotsford —54 trains, revenue £5,558; Glenavy -II trains, revenue £2,431; Hunterville —12 trains, revenue £9,019; Ngaruaw ahia —20 trains, revenue £5,1151; Pelichet Bay—46 trains, revenue £1,971; Granitv —16 t rains, revenue £59,388. Grade £185-.£200 Victoria, £180-£2OO New Zealand : Albert Park—l 42 trains, revenue £15,723; Armadale — 203 trains, revenue £15,831; Branxholme —11 trains, revenue £3,101; East Cambwl —194 trains, revenue £6,450; Jeparit—l2 trains, revenue £14,430; Malvern — 203 trains, revenue £28,235; Prahran — 170 trains, revenue £14,287. Against those you have New Zealand stations such as: Cust —4 trains, revenue £1,491; Farndon —24 trains, revenue £5,088; Herbert —14 trains, revenue £1,226; Pukerau —12 trains, revenue £3,021; Pleasant Point—4 trains, revenue £3,434; Rangataua —8 trains, revenue £10,200; Runanga—l2 trains, revenue £20,780. In Victoria there is a large number of stations which are paid from £160 to £175 per annum. Then, there is a list of stations at £150 per annum, such as: Collingwood — 218 trains, revenue £4,389; Flemington Bridge —74 trains, revenue £1,216; Middle Footscray—66 trains, revenue £1,856; South Kensington—2s7 trains, revenue £67,140; Ultima—2 trains, revenue £15,000. The folloxving is the list of Stationmasters in the various classes in Victoria and New Zealand: Victoria—434 Stationmasters; 2 in £350 class, !i in £300 class, 8 in £275 class, 12 in £250 class, 16 in £225 class, 44 in £200 class, 74 in £180 class, 160 in £ICO class, 109 in £140 class. New Zealand —214 Stationmasters; 4in £400 class, 6 in £355 class, 16 in £300 class, 28 in £255 class, 71 in £220 class, 88 in £200 class. 4. Mr. V. Brown.] Did you say that at Richmond there were 706 trains in a day?— Yes, it is it tram service practically : it is almost an incessant move. They work about eighteen or twenty hours out of the twenty-four. From the statements I have read, gentlemen, I think, having regard to the frequency of the train service, the comparisons T have made indicate clearly that, for the work performed by our men, the pay in New Zealand compares more than favourably with the pay of Railway men outside, and so far as the Stationmasters are concerned, they have certainly no cause for complaint on the score of the salary paid in New Zealand. Then, I think Mr. McPherson made some complaint about the houses and accommodation. Now, in respect to that it is only necessary for me to point out that the Department has over a period of several years been spending a very considerable amount of money in bringing houses that were recognized to be out of date into a better condition. More accommodation has been provided, and any reasonable request that a Stationmaster has made for increased accommodation has been met so far as the Department knows. The newer houses are, of course, very much better than the older ones, but the Department is going on with a gradual betterment in thai respect. 5. Mr. Arnold.] Do they,also receive in Australia free coal, kerosene, or lighting? Hon. Mr. Millar: The Commissioners told me in Australia that Stationmasters were always allowed that. Witness: I am not quite qjear at the present moment whether they do get that concession, but I will look the matter up and put in a statement. Then, Mr. Smith touched on the question of the position of Locomotive Foremen. Now, with respect to that I should just like to say that no doubt Mr. Smith "is aware that the position that is held at the present time by many assistant Locomotive Foremen was originally held and the duties were discharged by Senior Enginemen, and at the present time in some of the sheds, such as Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland, and a number of other depots, there are Senior Enginemen who. in the absence of the Foreman and Assistant Locomotive Foreman, carry on a certain amount of tho Assistant Foremen's duties. When the position of Assistant Locomotive Foreman was made it was for the purpose of enabling the Department to provide for men who had held the position of Senior Enginemen for some time going into the First Division. The men who were picked originally for the positions of Senior Enginemen were taken because it was recognized that they were probably the best men available at the time for training for Locomotive Foremen ; but what happened was this ; that from time to time, after those men were put into the position of Senior Enginemen and carried on the duties. drivers who were senior to them on the list, but who at the time the first men took up the Senior Engine-drivers' position were not recommended as suitable, subsequently got another and a favourable recommendation —this happened on more than one occasion—and the man who was on the footplate doing the driving then came in and xvas appointed Locomotive Foreman over the head of the man who had been acting as Senior Engine-driver. The Department desired to stop that, and wanted to encourage the men to qualify themselves for Locomotive Foremen, and for