RAILWAYS CONTROL.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1931, 13 December 1913, Page 7

RAILWAYS CONTROL.

A PROBLEM IN NEW SOU'ill! W \LES. I I'ViiiS oi poluical i\riw \cr. II i'[ iuiii ion I Vpo 11-1 iu (wlMi di' ;iu l.ah.iu;- part'-,- < uiniol am! straight* in- I railway; ;ilid .1 rani'-vav.'; iiH'li 1 which in tlk-V; loiij; rim' .Iwst-.ji'rvo.s./tlifir iiitm''st.sVJiy<>iy "nadt- ';^ was in * V-f'T' lor |{;u!v, ays in (lieVf'iukcs Govroninjeat) a .aVxi.H-p.-h--. at-'. North ..SyiliK-y? 4 !)!! ■ Aiivi'iiiinn-: !2!l, status Hlie -.Sydney. .''Daily Tcl'"rraph." -J. K-Ahciuf t!i<- i-nd ol'" ABSS," said Sir'WiU limlllif; t !-:<• vuilv.-.-M s I .-•woreNiKa.statf' of (lispruaiiisalion^that' ■ ihe. lives ■of passengers were not safe;' ami thai; iKilitic;:il-iniiiieiici' so inoculated 1 he'-whole syslem'that'no man was su["' nihis employment,'"'while friends - of members of Parliament and others wenj loisled upon the 'service witiiout""any", ' regard l to* their ability,-, the Parliament- 1 uf- this Slate ' decided' to 1 , lolhjw l ' Vie-., torin's example, and create ■! separate corporation, lor the' railways, thus putoutside political control?' (Hear, hear.)' - ; \Ve were I'ortuuate at, the... end ..of that year, in one of' tiie .greatest administrators 1 in ihe OUI hand—tho. late. Jlr. .; liddy. A.bimt March of. the following.'.your, tho lastI'arkes (.Joyernnient tamo into office, and' I had the iionomvof bcinn Treasurer iii 1 tiiat vidminii'tration. Jhit it was a ip.io:;-' tion when-thai Act passed which' particular Minister should administer, the Act. ' When it wns.debated, tiio younger members oi' tho Cabinet naturally thought• the. Minister for Public Works, , who had Ihe construction . work-to do for. the. railways, wns the proper person to' administer tho Act;.' But tho old man, l.'arlce;;, knew better, ami saw that il the Minister lov Hallways was to be a guide to the Chief ■ Commissioner, and the mail to be referred to bv. him lor advice at ail times, and to act sometimes as umpire, it was better that he should in? awa.v from all 1 Departments thai had' any reference to railways. So he decided that the Act should ho administered by tho Treasure!-, and I had the honour of being not only Treasurer, hut the first Minister <;1 iJuihvays in this country. (Applause.)

; . Reaction After Enthusiasm, • '"'I hey say that after great religions excitement thc.ro. is a reaction, 'ami people who iiavc made- great promises to lead a new life go back to their old ways. It tvas the same wnv with tho Parliament that, passed that strung and drastic Mill. ]''or two years I had to light, not only against members of Parliament, but against members of my party, who wanted to reverse tho decision of that liili. Mr. Eddy was'a man of (.croat courage and groat sensitiveness. lie had risen from the |wsition of cadet to one of the highest posts in the London and North-wcsterm 3{ailway; he was a man who ahvavs did his duty and was incapable of mikindiiess. II lie dismissed a man he did siot wake lip next morning to read execrable talk m some yellow journal. Having done his duty he was perfectly satisfied. \\ hen lie came out and had to reconstruct that service, which was in a state almost indescribable, lie found opposition in Parliament, opposition of all kinds outside, and hindrances put in his way. Ln fortunately nil this preyed upon his mind, and it injured his body; and no doubt Jlr. Eddv was a martyr to his own work and duty among people'who were, riot fit to loos? his boots. (Applause.) . Xow, "the railway system is responsible for about two-third:; of ouv .national debt, which at present is £106,000,000, more or less, and the railways account for about £80,000,000. So you sea that 'upon the proper working of these railways, ami the remunerative result obtained,' depends largely the credit of this country on the London market. T don't mean to say Unit it is altogether becauso our railways pay that wo have credit on the London market. We have credit for two reasons: .First, we are an absolutely British people, and, second, it. is known that wo are a straightforward and honourable people in all mercantile arrangements, and which, will never repudiate its obligations,

"Great Deal of friction." "But I am cailot! upou to make thcso remarks becauso ]Ur. Johnson's term of agreement expires early next year. During his regime thero has been a great ileal of friction between liini and the Socialistic Government. Mr. Johnson- has given way to the judicial arbitrament of wages boards, and'has given iij> many things which it was probably not necessary to give up, for the sake of carrying out. the '.vislii-.V of the Government." Ho lias bean nagged at by Ministers; he has boon accused mat unfairly of being to blame for tilings which the Ministers themselves were, to blame for, and in every way this man of high standing and great ability has been hampered in his work (hiring the hist- three years. .We have been told by Mr, Hoiman that Mr. Johnson did not foresee, as ho ! should have doivs, the necessity for engines, and yon know the impossibility of carrying on an increasing traffic unless vim have continually a knowledge of tho affairs of the Department. Hut that is not true. No man could possibly have foreseen tho enormous increase in traffic in this • country during the last seven • years. We havo had seasons, not merely phenomena], but continuous. Our wheat produce lias grown by leaps and bounds. Mr. Johnson did foresee a large amount of the increase and lias been, to my knowledge. hammering away at tho Treasury for the last four or live years, asking for manor and more money for this building of engines—at Home, if they cannot' ho built here —and he has done | everything that a far-seeing and strong man could do, in irritating and unpleasant circumstances. Hut, of course, as 1 used to fell Mr. Kdd.v when he came to govern the railway*;, he had to deal wiih a rather complex situation.

Mutual Respect and Advice. j "\Yc luivo » very drastic tiailway Act, making; a separate corporation'of tin; railways, and giving almost absolute power to the commissioner, who has, always to understand two things: first-, that, after all, they are Stale' railways; and, sceoiid. tliat al: the end of. every 'financial ..year the railway c:di- j males como up in tho annual budget. So that there is a connection between Parliament and the railway system, in the matter of supply. And, therefore, although the- .Cbief Commissioner holds an almost-absolute position, he must recognise tin's complex situation; see that no- unnecessary autocracy enters into the administration, and'that when' im can give way here and there, judicially, he should, and not- put himself in' conflict with tho (lovornmeiit. Every man has his own '■ peculiarities. - ' All strong men have their faults, as wci'l as weak men,, and Mr. .Johnson has held a strong hand over these .railways. On the other, hand, - lie .has. not been fairly, dealt with by the Government of..the day. There is a connection S.-clween the Treasurer, as head of. the. Department, and the Chief-.j Commit, sii.ner. as head of the' practical work-' '.inji;. and if there is not- a- fair feeling of"" mutual respect, advice ' and "advice taken 1 between the Minister and ccininissioueiv then tilings will no 'wrong. ■ The Minister, who ' practically administers the Dcparlincirt.-ol'. fiie.'.law oi-ghi. ,to give every possible consider.!-; tion-tothe. tnan v who has to work under.-' if.-'-~ Besides that-,' lie oiijibt,- ln;[{ive t - bs. advice, at all '.lines. 1 with Jiroriimoss'-and;: kindness,"which' cannot- lie'-. iiiistnuler-;: \ stood"; And, on the other'handy!(be com-, missionei':.' si-ou'.d bo .ahvays-. ready to 1

[ soek':>mnis6jsfrbra '-vlher administrative I head, so thatjijitrro' should ln»tsish- ' ms lip!uHaiul v llio Xo syslem'iwili work iii'llfifijlitij'iiicii.have,not- rtmimou 'setiKi'.XiiiiitiiSlfvivK.ird fori' i-acli -'oilier, ami anl'oiienjimnd lo |.;ivo amljS.fakeiiii ;inlli-cssfill i:i!'s('Applim'sc.).; 4 -* I'- iiis inn .liiiow \v!iat-.is ,f in tin- mind iifvMrljJlolir.an and' members of his Government ; ■but I liiidoistand it is pi'oli-n!)U\tSint Mr.' •lidiiisoii may have 1c- to!ire at' the em! of his period if tho present Government is : in oliieo. I waul- von to understand jliat, apart ■ii'oni the' pi'rso.iiality of Mr. ■'\lohi!rtin,' ? i; i iyl!ii! is-'s'lyory able, you j,nd?i independent • person, ■liis pivM'iii-' (ioyprnir.piit is in iav olves probaMv a .iyisole < ii:injif itht' ■'syatcn; of railway ROVrriuiHyi V" 1 " ■

... Fro-3 - From Politics. *Ssir William'. indicated that he was not. bound toany'.one,particular mode of..railway government," They illicit, have. ;i ' board,. or ■ with • or without ;'colioniines. : Hut .whatever, tlio governing body, 1 it must, be tree from tile iiitricrues of..Parliament and the intrusion oj---. political iullnence. (Ap-. I'lause.) 1 'J,, the'railwav men and tramway ineii j.(> would . .-jay that whatever ; irnta,u,,i S they, ; mmht have felt, whatjtiie ;petty-'t.vranny. of understrappers, and officials," "lake mv word for it, your position"is. better through independent control outside politics. Your -l" ,fS <;erfain and secure than d. political . elements were introduced, -I in. man oifgiit more to voU , i( „. l.ih ; a (.overnment, and uphold " the nim-cl!.* raihvays; than the em!i-' ~'o il -"'I 1 (A)i----i" '"'iciied'V,,, i 1 Sll,oh ' L ' r s - vstom . s bad L ..!Un (I Mieli a.. sui>;e of eiliciem v 'mil I HM'lHlH's'atiVO result th.'»fr fr-v vnnv*. i .'.rl'S'ij:"" ! 11 .i'viT cost a' n'lijlio'n.'" mid..above interest .ind wort-i-iVr - wu.ri i Iv, ' ro 110t ™rcfui they ■]<» >d, .or tho hrst- iime in he did not (S™ ,nal, r liml a delieit. WtLitoyei- you do, yow must keep u., credit »i this-counlrv." H» d-V i!"t say anyihiii;.; about' increase' of liases, or extra expenses entailed in tho cost Oj living, hut whatever ex-penses-illicit be incurred, if they could not do otherwise by economy, strict and more careful management, their freight I'i'ies and passeimcr fares would liavo t<» be raised. .Jne,liue>; <ni which Oiev were liable must pay like every conii""i"ciai iiiulertaKiii;.;, or our credit woihd g o down to zero. If thev co»ld not make tlio railways pay, then everv inan, woman, a.iid child would feel the increased lares on, tram and railway iiues. Tlio iiicroase of noods rates was most important, 'i is is was a dry country, of. primary production. Wo'do not coiisnmo inore than a .small portion of our own' productions, and we must bring down commodities at the lowest possible rate to the harbours, and then Ret them to tlio markets of the world as cheaply as .possible. Jf the original prices were _ increased, the markets would not give more, and the farmers would suffer. Therefore, we ask yon to see that a body of men will not got into power for tiie next three years who will brine in this system of political interference. ]f you do this, officers, through political influence, will be degraded. You will fail to act those higli-ly-nitalificd men and enwiiiem and other professional officers now above suspicion, biit corruption arid politic.ll influence will bo rampant, and you will suffer through the bad practice of iutrodticuig ibis political influence into that great scrvicc of tho State. (Applause.) _____