MR. HILEY'S BUSY DAT

Press, Volume L, Issue 14970, 18 May 1914, Page 3

MR. HILEY'S BUSY DAT

GENERAL .MANAGER RECEIVES DEPUTATIONS.

Sir E. H. Hiley. General Manager of the Net. Zealand Railways, had an exceedingly busy day on Saturday, receiving public and private deputations oti all kinds of subjects connected with railway administration. COAL IMPORTERS' WANTS. A deputation representing the importers of coal from Australia waited upon the General Manager, the spokesman being Mr Geo. McClatchie.

Mr McClatchie said that the coal importers desired that more goods trains should be put on the Lyttelton-Christ-church service- in the mornings, to facilitate prompt delivery of coal shipments _in Christchurch. Thero was room for improvement, ho said, in the arrangements for shunting on the wharves at Lyttelton, and he advocated the use of hydraulic capstans, as horses, now employed. were too slow. In ronsequence tne wharves were not used to the best advantage., and shipping was delayed. He cited the case of "Wellington, where the wharves were well equipped with capstans tor moving wagons. Ho also called attention to the short_ge cf rolling stock at Lyttelton and elsewhere.

Mr Hiley, in reply, said ho would look into the matter of improving the morning goods service from Lyttelton, with the object of keeping the sidings clear and improving the speed of delivery. He was in agreement with the deputation in regard to the slowness of present shunting methods at Lyttelton. and he also agreed that the equipment of the wharves with capstans was the best one. Capstans, however, were * portion of dock equipment, and should be installed by the Harbour Board, as they had been at Wellington and in many parts in the Old Country. In supplying holies the Railway Department was p..forming a service for which it was not responsible. He admitted the / lack of sufficient waggons to deal without delay with the largo coal steamers now using Lyttelton. The building of new rolling stock and additional locomotives was having serious consideration at his hands.