RAILWAY MANAGER

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1728, 19 April 1913, Page 5

RAILWAY MANAGER

POSITION FILLED. BRITISH OFFICIAL CHOSEN. MR. E. 11. HILEY. Air. Kruesl Unvilland, Hiley,' at pro scut; Divisional Clouds Manager tit Kcw-. ensile, on tho A'oitlu-Eastcm Railway (England), has lieou appointed General Manager of tho I\'ew Zealand Government Railways. Crbinet mudo tho appointment yesterday, after receiving final correspondence on the subject from tho High Coinuii-siniicr. Tho Prime Minister informed a reporter yoslerday dial: Mr. Ililcy had a particularly good record of sorvico in England. About 80 applications were received, of ■which len or a. dofcen eamo from New Zealand, and (he others mostly from England, jfy time has yet been definitely iixcd for the arrival of the new manager, but tho Prime Minister slated that Mr. Ililcy would probably lake up Ins duliei wilhiu n few mouths. The present General Manager of Railways (Mr. T. Konayue) reached retiring age. at l.ho end of last year, anil has retained liis position pending I lie appointment of n now manager. The Minister, for Raihvavs slated, when the proposal to 'call applications for die poMlioii of General Manager at a salary of ,£3OOO a year was debated in Parliament, that tho term of tile appointment would bo livo years. The New Manager. Mr, Uilcy, us Mated. i\s nt nrcsctit Divisional Goods Manager at Ne'wcnstln on the Xorlh-Intern Rnilway in England. Do is die ton-of a clergvman, is .13 yearn of age; and was educated at Rossalh" H« has had a. wide experience on the Great '. Northern Railway and in Lis present em- * plovinenl. The North-Knslern Raihav Company operates ono of the biggest Dritish osteins. It was established in 1851, and owns 3080 miles of track, and controls a total iif 173-1 miles. Tlio main line runs from Doncuster to/Berwick, and forms part of tho East Coast route to Scotland. .I'bu company owns 5!) miles of canal, largo docks at Hull. Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, and the Tyne Dock, and conducts a slcainship service from Hull to the Continent. The capital of tho company amounts to .C 30 1 r.80,532, which is at llio rate of .1:17,070 per mile. The chairman of directors is Lord Kuaresborough, 'and l.ltn General Manager is Mr.- A. K-. Dullerworlh. Tho olliccs uf the company arc at York. The magnitude of' the North-Eastern system may be gauged by the fact, that tho New Zealand Government railways (lines open and under construction) wop - * valued as at March 31, l'Jll, at .1'31,50'J,000. Something About Salaries, The new Gcusral Manager is to reeeivn •iaOOO per annum. The salary of (ho present General Manager is .£1250 per annum, .Following are the annual salaries paid to tho Commissioners controlling tho railways in t he states of tho A astral inn Coromonwealth:— Victoria: Chief Commissioner, J!1!750i Iwo Assistant Commissioners, each AISOO. Tho previous Victorian Chief Commissioner (Mr. Tail) received .£3500 a year. New !iouth Wales: Chief Commissioner, A' 3000; ono Assistant Commissioner, .£ISOO. Queensland: Chief Commissioner, ,£2000; ono assistant, JUL'SO.. Sou-th Australia: Commissioner, ,£1250. . West Australia: Commissioner,-£1500.. Tasmania: General Manager, XIOOO. THE PROPOSAL IN PARLIAMENT. 1 LAST YEAR'S DEBATE, Tho proposal to appoint a General Manager of Railways at .£3OOO a year was debated in thp,iHouso of,-Representatives on October 29, 1.012, on tho motion to commit the Government Railways Amendment Bill. Sir Joseph Ward strongly opposed tho proposal, but it was a» vigorously defended by Mr. A. M. Myers, who succeeded Sir Joseph Ward, and preceded the Don. W. H. Herries, as Minister for Railways. Explaining tho intentions of the Government in the . matter, Mr. Hemes said thai, it was idle to deny that there had been intense dissatisfaction throughout the country with the management of the , railways. He did not blamo tho Department-, because he thought llio men iu tho railway service had dono cxcelleut work according to their views. Hut there had . been dissatisfacliou. Why, ho tnid, "if I had shown myself on that raco train tho other day 1 should have stood a chanco of being lynched. (Laughter.) I didn't show myself." He explained ihat tho proposal was that if the general manager were selected in New Zealand ho should be scut Homo to learn methods of railway nianagmeiit iu (ho.older .countries. It had been decided to ask (ho , High Commissioner to advertise for applications in Britain and in Canada, (o interview the applicants', and lo recommend one to the Government. He realised dial the best men .available might .not bo templed (o apply by an offer, of .0000 a year, but he I nought a good young man might apply. Tho Government had, at any rale, been so' advised. ■' ■ An lion, member: What do yon call a Young man? Mr. Herries: Prom 3d lo 35. lie hoped to gel n sujlablr, v. el I-I ruined young man conversant, with traliic work, which, ho considered I he most ililliciilt and llio must iiunui'laut brunch or railway worli. llfl did not. ihinK I lie Irinurlilc control s(ig- ■'• gesled bv the Lite Miiiislor lor Railways, the Right. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, would 'work out well, hi such a lri;.mvirulo t!i« i Minister fur Railways would be practically the general manager, and Ibis was by no means lo be desired A mam might become Minister f'Ji' Railways,by accident — . . Mr. Russell, and others: Hear, hear. ' Mr. Herries: And sometimes by ability. (Laughter.) H might be that a man could become Minister* for Railways becauso , ho was a good talker, and it would not be well to have such a man in chargo of the railway enterprisj. In answer to a question, he said (hat the proposed term of appointment for the general manager was live year.-.