A meeting of the Christchurch Com mittee for the advancement of this Bill was held in the stationmaster's office, Christchurch railway station, on Thursday, July 6, when it was decided to forward a petition in favour of the Bill, which has been before the employees on the Canter bury section for signature for the past two months, to the Commissioners for presenta tion to the Government. A circular memo to the following effect was also drawn up for circulation amongst the employees :— " The Committee Has the honor to inform you that a - petition consisting of 635 signatures of employees on the Canterbury section in favour of the above Bill has been sent to the Eailway Commissioners for presentation to the Government; aho that they have recom mended tbe following amendments in the Bill— (a) Retiring age to be reduced to sixty years ; (b) present employees to be allowed to contribute for one or more of the benefits ; (c) employees to be allowed, by increasing their contributions, to pro vide for half-pay pension instead of a third." At the suggestion of the Eunedin Com mittee, a proposal to send a delegation from all sections of the railway to Wel lington, to interview the Commissioners and the Government on the subject, was considered, and it was decided to fall in with tbe proposal. A meeting of the Com mittee was therefore called, and took place at the stationmaster's office on Tuesday evening, when Mr Efford, of Addington Workshops, and Mr Gray, Traffic In spector, Christchurcb, were appointed de legates from Christchurch. At a meeting held at Timaru on Wednesday night Mr Burd was appointed a delegate from that town. The above gentlemen, with dele gates from Dunedin and Invercargill sec tions, leave here for Wellington on Satur day night, and will be met there by the delegates from other eections.
