OUR RAILWAY GENIUS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 10

OUR RAILWAY GENIUS.

• SOME POINTS OF HIS ADMINISTRATION ANALYSED. Sir,—Ever since the Hon. J. A. Millar delivered his Railways Statement for the year ending March 31. last, I have been watching for some criticism of,the same. The. most .important item of all; seems to have been lost sight of by, would-be critics—that is, the sources'from, which the increase in rovoriufi' has been derived during the year under review. Tho travelling public are well aware that a substantial increase .in. tho passenger fares for distances over fifty miles, was;effected last year.' During 1909, notwithstanding" the fact ..that the-'Manawatu.rail-way' had been acquired in November; '1908, the. fares from Wellington to Woodville and stations between there and Feilding and Napier, via tho Wni-J rarapa line, continued on the same: basis as when the company were operating. That means that the Government,: during the whole of 1909, competing: against the shorter route ' via" Manawatu, thereby carrying passengers for a;'considerable distance on the longer route for nothing. When the tariff, was-revised.'last, year, all this was altered, which, resulted in a considerable: increase. in the revenue, as season, tourist,; sectional , and annual ticket's were, affected, also.goods rates. :: I have studied, the Railways State,iuent caMully, and-1 must confess that the .result of last year's working, as compared with tho tariff of the-previous s'ear,- is •nothing for the Minister to Boast: 'of.- • For tho . year \ 1908-9, 10j457j144 passengers' were carried.. .The same iiumbef - would be carried during tho.year 3909-10;- at:practieallyytho 'same cost, but'what! wdiild like to'know' isir How. miich extra revenue..-was derived from that source through.' the.;increasem'fares, etc.,"ns quoted above? Then we;have a surplus of passengers carried as compared, with the previous year of-783,998, at the increased rates. - The argument may bo used .that, a - certain, percentage were, carried,! at .:. suburban rates,..and the.: increase, of . -workers' tickets-will account for a v great-many more.-,.-; !,- . - '■'--■ : i However, I,; do ; not; intend to intrude on your valuable !space by going- into details, but with your, permission I will briefly,'tefer to the Minister's -state-.' ment retrenchment. ill; the Department, .',another factor to be.considereddn ;dealihgSvith the surplus'. ;.. Ho has stated' that, owing to financial stringency, rigid: economy .had to be enforced. Nothing, in ' the;,;way of. promotions: was granted t'o the'employees' except scale increases provided- by the''Railways Act; "consequently;: another source of fevehue as •compared with . the , previous year' was initiated. This is what may be. termed practising economy at the expense of efficiency. What, think you,, wore the /feelings of .maiiy deserving employees ;When..they perused the long-looked-for. •list (kiidwn as D 3) last year,.to find to,, their 'chagrin that' it possessed nothing' for them? It would throw a great deal ■of, .the ,true' position if.some •'of:' our./memhers of-"Parliament .would kindly request the Minister to furnish information to the following ,qi;;:i>tibns: ; ; (1) What was the. actual revenue ■..:.. derived'from theMncreaso in: fares '! aiid freights which', operated; last,-.:; .'year? ;,'V:,-: •',; ;,; j: ~' '■}-..<■. .J. ';; » v."-;- '• ■''-.(2) What was- the saving,' and! ..consequent decrease,in--the working'-,. expenses, ; through •■ the'; suspension of promotions and the; withholding of concessions previously :' granted .-'■ to the employees? v , Mr. Millar's';statein'enf" looks well on,.paper, ;but it, .won't stand close' - investigation.—l am, etc.,. ■'-■'.-'. - '."■',; ,-'■•-''• '. 65.84 d, Wellington, September 8, 1910.