THROWING A MACKEREL TO CATCH A SPRAT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2857, 23 August 1916, Page 6

THROWING A MACKEREL TO CATCH A SPRAT

Sir,—With your permission I will try to show that our present Government are getting ahead of the old adage. It. used to be considered good business to throw a sprat to catch a mackerel, but 1 have yet something to learn to know that it's good business to throw the mackerel to catch the sprat. And this is what 1 consider our Government did when they brought out a railwaj manager from England at a high salary,. and lor three ot- live years. To my way of thinking, and many more, it would lie bettoi businesß to give a colonial the same salary and see what improvement he can make to meet local conditions. / have asked many people, including a great many connected with" the railways business, and they cannot see the improvement claimed. First let me take the ticket inspectors. Is there anybody in this Dominion but what thinks that the fewpounds that the inspectors collect extra to what the guards hand in costs doubly abd trebly as much to collect, thus showing that hero is quite a considerable waste of money? Now, why has not Mr. lliley stopped this waste long ago" Next take our Auckland expresses. Anyone can see that at least 111 the dead of winter two of these trains are not required, and to my mind are not required except during the holiday season. How is it that one express suffices to carry all tire traffic between Lyttclton and Dunedin, Wellington and New Plymouth, Wellington and Napier, and yet it takes two expresses to carry the passengers in tho winter months as well as summer between Auckland and Wellington?. Now, sir, I contend that if that was »o, then it would take at least three expresses to cope with the traffic in the summer. We have, with one Auckland express running, three expresses running between Palmerston and Wellington daily, and two between Wellington and Marton, and two between Auckland and Hamilton. And anybody that knows the North Island knows that there is 110 thickly populated area between Marton and Hamilton; in fact, there is no comparison between the population between Marton and New Plymouth, and Palmerston and Napier, and Marton and Hamilton. Now, that boing an undisputed fact, where is the need for the extra Auckland expresses? Probably Mr. Hiley can tell 11s. Now, sir, I would like someone who Is well up in railway figures to give the public tho full figures in connection with the salaries paid to all the heads of tho Departments since Mr. Hiley took office. Now, sir, I think it looks as if I have said quite sufficient to either arouse the public or our Government.—l am, etc., V. J. RYDER. Otaki, August 14, 1916. [This letter was submitted to the Railway Department. The reply of the Department to Mr. .Ryder's first point, that the ticket inspectors do nob save as much money as they cost, is that tho Department is of opinion that they have saved their salaries many times over, not in the collection of stray fares, but in the prevention of evasion ot payment. The Department is always best satisfied when the ' inspectors discover no irregularities at all. Further, the inspectors were appointed before Mr. Hiley took over control of the railways. As to the Auckland expresses, the Department is watching very closely the position, being anxious to effect any economies that are possible. It, is considered, . however, that the two expresses are at present necessary to cope with the traffic. It is not a fact that one express carries all the traffic between Lyttelton and Dunedin. There aro two expresses daily between Ljjttelton and Dunedin, and'these were running long before the second express was put on the Auckland-Wellington run. Generally, the contention of the Department is that all the trains _ now running- are justified by the business offering. It is true that the salaries of certain officers have been raised since Mr. Hiley took office, but the salaries are not higher than are paid for similar services in other railway concerns. It is also true that the lower-paid men in the service have had considerable increases, and it is contended that- these workers call and do earn more money than men in similar employment in any other country.]