THE NEW RAILWAY CHIEF

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 117, 11 February 1919, Page 7

THE NEW RAILWAY CHIEF

' CONGRATULATED BY THE A.S/R.S. ■ EXECUTIVE. Prior to tho quarterly interview of the executive council of tho Amalgamated . Society of Railway Servants yesterday ' morning, the- General Manager of Kailways, Mr. E. 11. Hilcy, took tho opportunity of referring to the appointment of ; Mr. R. \V. M'Villy as his successor, In making reference to the matter, Mr. Hiley said: "It would n6t he fitting, > nor would it be at all my wish, (hot tho matter of tho new appointment should not bo referred to. It is not, of course, necessary, for mo to introduce Mi-. M'Villy to you. but I do wish to fay that although I have already congratulated Mr. M'Villy personally, "I am only too glad to have this opportunity o[ being able to congratulate him before such- a representative collection of the staff as the executive of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants. Mr. M'Villy has had my cordial and wholehearted support in regard to attaintho position of General Manager of Railways on uiy.retireinent, and I can tell you personally it is a matter of great pleasure to mo and a source of great satisfaction, that Mr. M'Villy has been appointed, the new General Manager. I hayo found Mr. M'Villy, during the time 1 have been in New Zealand, to have an extreme, sense of loyalty towards his. chief, and I think vou will all agree,as men of the world, "that that is a good augury for the men who wfll have to serve under him. A man who shows a sense of loyalty and honour to his chief is a man who realises the value of loyally liom his subordinates, and one who will' be loyal to his subordinates. I always regard loyalty as having two sides to it; there is a double obligation, viz., that trom subordinates to their chief, . ,and from, the chief to those under him A limn m authority cannot expect loyalty it ho docs not give loynltyj'and if ho expects it, as he. has a right to expect it from the stall, it is equally a matter of f bll S'itioii that ho should give loyalty to' ! he stall. lam not going to say'anv- : .lung more ;n regard to Mr. M'Villy at! i his stage. I shall meet you all. again I i i!, h, ni -M! k"c I certainly could I not... think of. letting tho ' opportunity '■ pass-without expressing my sincere and I that Mr. M'Villy j "is tnc'appointment, and assuring vou that you are getting as voiir chief' - a ■ man whom 1 blow personally.is staunch om! rV° le '- star ''', f «"'-"»»'led; ami one. who; has tho; greatest .sympathy for mJ^T' 6 ""P!™*.""* "f the stall' hi improve • their' conditio!*; ..as conditions are w.proving-outsido. I dsh (o again * a *„ r tD , V! 1 ' how mud, . congratulate you, and W glad i; <~„ that you have Attained to, this .importnut appointment-ib* mo s|; important appointment that Ihe New Zealand Gov ernment can give to any/ Civil- Servant" '=,„,„! ic 1 l«-osi<lejit .of the Amol-.l gajnnted Society of Railway Servants, | said: Mr. Hiley and Mr. M'Villy, it was l my intention, with the unanimous wish o, the Executive Council, to have referred to this matter had you not done so, and J. mav say. that the executive are unani. niously of he. opinion that we should ex-teiul-our hearty congratulations to Mr. \ illy on his appointment, and I believe that in doing this and in endorsing your own. sentiments, Mr. Hilev, wo are expressing the'sentiments of t'iie whole of the rank and file of the New Zealand ' railways. Wh:>n -.!; became kmr.™ -■•;• : that you were relinquishing the. position i there was no other thought i„ (l, e .minds aU-m ,v110,,> , of ,;llp sl,lff toi<'- that Mr. M Villy was the man to fill tho position, I ami there would have been very'keen • disappointment amongst the staff hud | anyone else-been appointed. I am positive j '?/■ t . hnt -„¥ r> M'V'li.v's appointment, I > think-, will be a popular one, and, strango : to say, it will be popular because be is-i a man who has not sought popularity in > t'lie ordinary sense of the word-no'one i .can accuse Mr. M'Villy of ever having i ilone that. It is generally recognised, ' Jirwovor, that Mr. M'Villy is imbued ! with a sense of justice, and that he tries I to. do. the right thing; and that is what! counts in the long run. We have trouble ahead in connection with tho industrial world-it., would be idle to deny tlial-i-nd the man who holds the position of head.of the Railway Service-well, fho position will not .be. a. sinecure. However, if.'Mr. M'Villy approaches matters Willi, the same sympathy and spirit'of finrness as he lias shown in his subordinate positions, and we, as leaders on our side, recognise our sense of responsibility, I see no reason why things should not go -along fairly smoothly. On behalf,' Mr. M'Villy, of the. Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, I extend to vou our congratulations on having worked right through .the service to the position of General Manager, and we believe you will so arrange matters that others who enter .on the lowest rung of the ladder will have the opportunity to attain to tho same position. I heartily congratulate you, and trust that you niay have many years in front of you to fill this position, and we know you will fill it with credit ; nhd distinction to yourself." ! Mr. M'Villy, replying, snid: "Mr. Hilev, ; Mr. Hampton, and gentlemen, I must I say that I am very much taken by suri prise at the position I find mvself in. i j I appreciate very much the kindly senti- : ments. expressed by my chief, and also by the society. So far as I am concerned, I feel the responsibility of the new posi- ; I tion. I know exactly what the difficulties j will be, and I realise to the fullest extent '. that any success I riiay hope to .uhievo ] | can only bo obtained by the co-operation < ['and loyal support of the rank and iilo . 'of the staff and the officers. From the I time I entered the service until tho pre- < sent moment I havo given to every' chief ! ■I have w-orked under loyal assistance; ( I have done my best for the Department, ] and I have always endeavoured to tjeat ; and deal with every, case, with fairness.' ; I think we all recognise that advance- j •ment should be according.to merit and ] ability, and there'is no other way. The ] man who .wants to get to the top has .got to set out with that.intention. He ( lias to'.work with that in view. If ho hap- '( pens to be in a position of responsibility, ; .the higher he.gets the more he realises . the necessity'of-being fair'and impartiul ] in.his judgments. In tho public Service t of this/country, and every other country ] :as far as that is concerned, a nian has i ■three duties to do-rhis duty to his em- ] ployer,- that is,' the public, his duty to ; the' staff or his fellow-workers, and his-, 3 duty'to himself tp do the right thing; c and in my humblo opinion that is tho ■<■ only way a man can'achieve success—to j do things fairly and squarely. I am ex- j trcniely pleased to know I have earned , Mr. Hiley's approbation mid his friend- -j ship, and if my small efforts have helped j and assisted him during the time, he has ] been-with us—well, it is a source of great -\ gratification to me. I hope that while j I am with you tho sorvico will accord' j to mo the same loyal support that they accorded to Mr. Hiley's predecessor. Mr. ( Ronaync, and to Mr. Hilcy himself. I K thank you, gentlemen, for your bongratu- \ latioii3." L ' s