RAILWAY SYSTEM.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18409, 16 June 1925, Page 9

RAILWAY SYSTEM.

REORGANISATION BENEFITS. A. statement m to tie progrefa befog made under the reorganised system of railway management waa made by Uw Hon. J. a Coates on Saturday, ia his • capacity as Minister of Bailway*. Mr Coatea indicated that the amtaded working conditions were gJtftag !*** mise of good reaulte, but it waa evidently aot ti*q yet for the full effeet .of the changes to bo apparent. Dealing with the new financial basis of the railway undertaking, Mr Ceatca said that the net revenue earned by the railways ia the financial year 3*24-23 . fell short by about £90,000 of the amount needed to pay the interest rate of 8f per cent, en the capital cost of opened lines. It had to be remembered that the reitoey earning* bad bee* reduced in that period by * »**» «ay«' strike and also by the infantile parafrsis epidemic; furthermore, the wife adjustment! made A early laat yea* added heavily to the expenditure of the Department. The benefits of deeentrelieed eoatro! were already becoming apparent. Superintendents now had unhampered responsibility in, the running of trains . and mattors pertaining to maintenance of track ana allocation off raffing stock aa between districts. Vehicle* which were required in a hurry could. now be transferred much more promptly from one point to another than was the ease when such matter! had to be referred to Wellington. Tho Minister said be did not think the motor trains, which it was expeettd would bo found very serviceable on branch lines, wero likely towrove eteful also in suburban seroee*. . Improved suburban aervicea probably would best bo provided by means of Bmall trains so made up that they could run either way without shoaling.

Writing to a fncad in TWUrogton. a well-known member of a laual lifesaving and swimming club gives a lew of his impressions of American sports and nastunea as follow:—"I saw k tew games, of football, and if you knew what a bull fightislike you know what Yankee football is. I hsn been to ««r----eral baseball games, and if it is any different in fundamentals from oar g*m« of rounds, then I'm a Dutchman. Basket ball, another great indoor sport a* good woman's gam*-, but they make 1% so rough that it becomes a &me w hooligans. They actually hare bfctte and national championships tor marble*. Tho beer that yon can huy w wtt«M. Jf you * jnt a k°t *! n »r whisky you h«vo to pay about 33* » bottle: I tried some of tnew te»*> brew beer, nnd 1 hare dmded that v* future I stay 08 it."