CUT IN RAILWAY SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 239, 3 July 1919, Page 6

CUT IN RAILWAY SERVICES

THE DEPARTMENT'S COAL RESERVE

MR. M'VILLY ANSWERS

QUESTIONS

A REGRETtUL "NO" TO PETITIONS

Mr. R. W. M'Villy (General Manager of Railways) was yesterday invited by tlio conference of local bodies and chambers of commerce to make a statement in explanation of the measures adopted bv his Department to economise in the use of coal. Mr. R. G. C. Flitch, representing the Grain Merchants' Association, was granted permission to attend. Mr. C. J|. Luke was in the chair. Mr. Luke welcomed Mr. M'Villy, and conveyed to him the congratulations of tlio conference upon his recent appointment. Mr.. .M'Villy returned thanks. Consignment Direct. Mr. Ffileh said that he wished to point out to Air. M'Villy one or two apparent anomalies in the new ■ regulations with regard to the carriago of goods over the railways. The regulations required that seeds, produce, and fertilisers to be carried must bo consigned to limners only. The association that the speaker represented thought that the regulations might be extended to cover consignments to distributors who could deal out the gogds in small lots to the farmers in their districts. In the case of seeds and produce, there might now be twenty email consignments where one large consignment would have sufficed. Tho association's proposal would not, if adopted, lead to speculative stocking-tip, as supplies were obtainable at regular intervals, and (he country merchants as a rulo only stocked about enough to meet immediate requirements. What Led to the Cut Mr. M'Villy replied: "The object of the Department in placing (he restrictions you refer to on the produce was to prevent any one section of the community from so loading up the restricted trains that nobody else would be ablo to get any service. The position that has arisen amounts of course to a crisis, and I may perhaps tell you, in order io make it easier for you to understand our difficulties, what has led up to the curtailment of tlio train services. You all remember of course the trouble there wan in 1913. At that time the reserve of railway coal was 89,000 tons. That reserve had been built up over a peiiod of years to enable the Department to carry on the business of the country when the coal mines might for any reason, 6uch as flooding of the mines, or anythiug of that kind, bo stopped. The quantity of hard coal that tlio Department requires for each year's use is about 250,000 tons, apart altogether from tho soft coal, lignite, etc., produced in New Zealand. In 1014 we were able to get only about 231,000 tons, between the West Coast mines of New Zealand and the New South Wales mines at Newcastle. Roughly, about 15 to 18 per cent, of hard coal we use has to be imported. At: the end of 19U we had eaten up 22,000 tons of our reserve stock. At the end of the next year, owing to inability to obtain sufficient coal from abroad, wo had eaten up another 18,000 tons. In 1916 tho reserve stock was down to barely 10,000 tons. Then we got a temporary increase in hard coal. We obtained a total of 261,000 tons of coal, and were able that year to put ICOO tons; on to our reserve, bringing it up to 11,000 tons. In the following year tho reserve stock was down to 23,000 tons, and there was very little coal in sight. AVhen yon could get coal yon could not get ships, and' when you could get ships there was difficulty in getting the'black diamonds.' The Department had been thinking seriously for a long time about the position, and it began lo seo it would have to think very hard, for unless something could bp done to increase our reserve stocks wo were face to face with the necessity of cutting the time-table. In 1917 a coal-saving time-table was brought into operation, and it operated, 1 think, from about April 23 to May 7. Then we had somo coal in sight, and wo decided "that the Department might safely lift some of llio restrictions of the coalsaving time-table. But we then had to bring into force the mau-saving timetable, and that time-table operated until about November last. Then wo made ono or two slight extensions—increased the services jn one or two places—and that position was maintained until to-day." The Position To-day, "The' position to-day is that the reserve stock, tlio total stock of coal the Department has in hand, is 11,000 tons, and there is almost no coal in sight. The total coal in sight between now and the middle Of August is 9000 tons. Now, when I tell you that under tho mansaving time-table we were burning from 5900 to 6000 tons per week, you can see. 'how long tho Department could have continued to run the full time-table with 11,000 tons of coal. In fourteen days' time at the most we should probably have found ourselves without any trains at all, So there was only ono thing to.do: that was, take our courage in both hands, and cut the time-table. That has been done. I want to say to you as a man who has- some responsibility in connection with tho matter that nobody was less desirous of inflicting hardship or inconvenience on any section of the community than I was; but I think you will be able to realise that the cut was inevitable, and that the restrictions wo have imposed in respect to passenger travelling and also in respect to the carriage of goods were inevitable.

"Of course, if shipping can be obtained, and coal can be obtained, immediately the Department can seo a reasonable supply in sight it will be only too glad to remove the restrictions as far as it can. But at the present moment the bedrock position is that the restricted time-table will have to remain in operation. How long we will be able to run depends entirely on the ability of the Department to get coal. We have exhausted every possible means of obtaining coal, and have been doing that for the last three years. The question of coal supply has been one of the most diificult questions the Department lias had to deal with einco 191-1.

Measures Carefully Considered. | "The position being as it was, the ; next thing we had to do was to consider : how we could best serve tho whole of j the community under the restricted time- ' table; and tho first tiling the Depart- i men had to consider was the feeding of : the people in the backhlocks. The pre- ] sent time-table was not a thing that was i brought into operation huniedly. We have ■ had it, pigeon-holed practically since • J!)17. Mr. Ililey and I took quite a long ; time to consider tho extent to which : tho tahlo should be cut. Tho whole of • the traffic managers of the Department i were brought together in conference - iiiion the matter. We nart to set out de- \ liberately to save coat. ; Mr. Ffitch's Question Answered. j "The' question put by Mr. Pfilch for ; consideration is whether the Department ' can remove the :-s;liiction' that, hofi j 'been placed on the conveyance of ma- j teriais such as slock foods and that sort I of thing to merchants. Tho restriction,! is not one Ihat flio Department is desir- : ons of iii:jH».'iiig if ii. mii bo shown that j Hip suggested removal of if will not in-1 diet liimlsuip on other people. But we I must protect the community generally, j an* we must order our arrangements as I far as is prnrlicnlilc in a. way that will ! enable us io do tho bc=t service for the I greatest number of people. Whenever ■ we have had restrictions of this kind en- '■ forced before we have always stipulated j that the goods shall be consigned direct ■' lo the consumer. You all know more • about fndividual businesses than I do,! iud I shall bo very pleased to discuss I details with one or two gentlemen you | appoint, but if you ask mo to express » dofinilo opinion at the moment I must say we. have done the best we can, ind I would not be favourable lo making an alteration. But I have an open mind on it. I want to help the farmer and the merchant as far as I can. I suggest that Mr. Ffitch and one or two gentlemen might como along and let mo see how I can protect tho people and. at'

the same time assist these gentlemen to carry on their businesses. Cement and Building Contracts. Mr. A. L. Hunt said that there were in tbo country a number of contracts that were dependent for their fulfilment entirely upon the supply of cement. Unless tho contractors could get cement through, ho did not know what their position would be. Another matter ho would like (o hear Mr. M'Villy refer to was the proposed appointment of a commercial agent under the Railways Derjartment to discuss matters of detail with tho commercial community. Many business men had thought the suggestion for the appointment an excellent one, and felt sure that a great many difficulties would be overcome if the appointment were made. Mr. Baker, another delegate to the conference, also snoke of the restrictions upon carriage of cement. He desired to know whether contractors could not get sufficient cement railed to them to enable Ihoni to complete work that they had begun. Motor Tyres and Accessories. Mr. L. A. Edwards spoke of the regulations restricting the carriage of motor tyre duplicates and other accessories. Every motor vehicle withdrawn from the road through lack of material for the replacement of parts was going, he said, to impose an added burden on the railways. Doctors had to be considered, also; thev did not cary spare tyres and accessories in their pockets. The position.of molor ambulance and fire brigade services also demanded attention. It seemed to him that (ho Railways Department should strenuously endeavour to maintain the motor traffic on the roads. Goods From Overseas. Mr. Harford (Mayor of Feilding) said that he was going to raise rather a big Question bv referring to Ihe carriage of goods landed from overseas. They all knew that the accommodation on" the Wellington wharves was limited, and Hint there must come a time, and that very shortly, when it would all be absolutely occupied. He wished to ask whether tho goods that had been ordered and would arrive or had already arrived from overseas would have any chance of being delivered; or had the importers to meet the extra expense of storing on the. wharves, or finding storage elsewhere? "If the stopnage is to last," the sneaker concluded, "I am sure T can't see where the congestion is going to end, or where the expense is coming from to pay for the storage." A Plea for Greytown. Mr. W. A. Hulton, speaking for Greytown, urged that the business people of that place were practically isolated, and that goods upon which the hospital was depending could not be got through. Ho asked Mr. M'Villy to arrange, if possible, for the provision of two trains per week. Impossible to Reconsider Decision. Mr.,M'Villy replied that if he had just been able to get up and say "Yes" to all the requests ho had hoard he would have been the happiest man in Wellington; but ho was afraid he would have to say "No," and he did it with very great regret. Tho question of carrying cement tho Department had already .considered very fully, and ho would not bo doing the right thing if he did not tell the delegates that it was utterly impossiblo to reconsider the decision arrived at. With regard to motor tyres, tjhc position was that tho parcels branch 1 of tho Department was still open to those who had Rmall packages, say, up to sGlb., to dispatch in limited numbers; so that if any man wanted two, three, or four motorcar or bicyole tyres he could get them. But tho Department did not view favourably One gentleman coming down with forty consignments to tho detriment of a dozen or so other people. Small lots could be sent at parcels rates, and they would suffice to meet emergencies. Benzino for farmers was provided for. Butter and cheese wero-also provided for... assuming they wero for shipment. That brought him to the request from Greytown. Ho had a great weakness for Greytown. There were some "sports'" there. The Greytown Borough Council and the authorities had previously met the Department in a very sporting spirit, and he would liko to meet them reciprocally. Unfortunately, though, he had to say "No" to Greytown too.

Mr. M'Villy said that he realised that the present crisis meant a lot of unemployment. Only Inst week he had been waited on by a deputation from the tsaurmMlers in the Kins Country. They had asked how timber was going to 'be affected. He had told them, frankly that tho Department would have to declino timber, as it had to decline to eaTry anything non-essential. The Department deeply regretted tho necessity of doing bo. But there was only a very meagre supply nf coal in stock, and an extremely meagre supply in sight. He appealed to lis hearers to ask themselves whether they, if they had been in his place, would have felt justified in doing anything but what he had done.

A Commercial Agent, He had almost overlooked the mention that had been niado of a commercial agent. He wished to say that tho appointment of one would be considered at a comparatively early date. Mr. Hiley had been strongly of opinion that a commercial agent was desirable, and the speaker held a similar view. The vacancy would lie filled shortly.

Mr. Luke thanked Mr. M'Villy for his attendance, nnd for his replies to the various questions that had been asked of him.

The conference appointed a committee, consisting of Messrs. Hunt, Edwards, Carr, and Holmes, and two delegates from the Grain Merchants' Association, to coufer with the Railway Department from time to time regarding difficulties arising out of the new regulations.

"ESSENTIAL" GOODS

TROUBLES OF THE DEPARTMENT. From all over the country appeals have been made to tho Railway Department and the Minister to allow certain kinds of freight not included in tho essential schedule as it is at present to be carried during the time that the reduced timetables aro in operation. The requests would make it appear that every coneeivnblfe commodity is essential, and if all of them wero granted there would be no reduction at all in goods services. The greatest concern has been caused by the cutting-out of limber from the list of goods to be carried, and everywhere millers aro asking the Government to relent, "he expectation at present is that the. West Coast timber can be brought to AVelUrigton by steamer, so that supplies may not be quite stopped. But all the .supplies from the North island mills will cease. Another request being pressed very hard is that young trees for planting shall lie carried, this being the planting season,' Strong representations aro being made in respect of lirau and pollard, the demand, in this case seeming to come mostly from merchants dealing in these commodities.

No indication ran he uiveil yet us to when tlie services will he re-stored. It is.hoped that some relief may bo given in August, if nothing untoward happens. The first relief to be given will probably not be in restoration of fast express trains, but in a relaxation of the restriction on tho carriage of certain classes of goods. It has been said that the Department ought to have made tho reduction gradually, but it is argued on the contrary that' the hardship to the people would have been much greater than under the present arrangement. The cut, if it had to come at all, could not have como at a better time of tho year, for this is tlxG 6ea6oii when there is least goods and passenger traffic. Tho delays in mail and passenger traffic will bo a Very great hardship, however, and so soon as tho effect of the cut can be felt it is expected Hint more '•eprcientations will bo miulo to the Government.

It i.s not generally understood that the reduction of services is not being done at t!i" iy.'.>npi> nl the Railway Department. The Railway Department was rationed with coal just as were o!i:cr coal users, and the Department lias to run a service which can be carried on with the supplies allowed. The Minister in Charge n\ Coal Supplies is I he Hon. A. M. Myers, who acts in this matter .under the advice of a special committee. CHius'rcHuncir fears iron its INDUSTRIES. ily *lVUxT.".;'ii~r:-""r. .Afsnnlntina Cliristchurch, ,luly 2. A deputation from the Canterbury 'Industrial Association wailed on the Mayor to-day regarding the effect of the curtailed railway services on the industries of tho city. The deputation asked Dr. T'hackor to call n public meeting immediately to consider tho cutting out of

goods trains. It was stated that (he practical suspension uf goods trains would absolutely paralyse the industries of the city and would really amount to a lock-out placed on the community by the Railways Department. This would involve the wiping out of the wholo weekly wage bill of some thousands of workers. Dr. Timelier agreed to call a meeting to-morrow. LYTTELTON WATLKSIDERS' PROTEST. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, July 2. A meeting M' Lyttellon waterside workers was held to-day for the purpose of considering the alterations to the train service. It was decided, as a protest Against the cutting out of the 9.15 p.m. train to Christchurch on Saturdays, that the men would not work after 'fi o'clock each evening until the 9.15 p.m. train was reinstated. A further protest was made against the Railway Department meeting the demand of the Chamber of Commerce by agreeing to ran the train each evening with the exception of Saturday, as Saturday night was the only night on which the men could journey to Christchurch. and they considered it was only fair that the men should have a holiday during the week. About a week ago the' workers decided that work on the waterfront should cease on Saturdays at 5 o'clock. It was further decided at to-day's meeting that work on Hie waterfront should cease at noon on Saturdays. CARRIAGE OF FAT STOCK. By Teleßranh-l'rens Afo'.-iniiiu Dunedin, July 2. A meeting of farmers and butchers was held at Burnside to-day to consider the railway restrictions iu regard to the carriage of fat stock. It was slated that under the regulations stock must ba consigned to abattoirs, which would practically mean closing the Burnside yards and placing farmers and butchers in a very serious position. Tho consumer would probably eventually feel the pinch more severely as a result of increased prices. A motion wis carried viewing with alarm the very drastic curtailment in the carriage, of fat stock lo saleyards, which meant tho forcing of the smaller butchers out of business, and suggesting that the Railway Department be empowered to accept consignments of fat stock, c?o that auction sales can .be continued at recognised selling centres. Later in the day arrangements were made for n meeting between the railway traffic manager and the chairman of Hie Stock Agents' Association to-morrow, when it will probably bo agreed to consign stock to Burnside for sale to butchers only. SHIPPING COMPANIES AFFECTED. By Telezraph—Press Association. Dunedin, July 2. The through trains north and south were loaded to full capacity this morning. The goods sheds were reported to lx> considerably congested, especially with goods for Oamaru and Christchurch. There'are evidences that the shipping companies may be affected to somo extent. One company catering for the coastal trade is already declining to ship classes of goods debarred by the railway to places such as Lytteltoh or Timavu, which are known as railway ports, as such goods, when discharged, will not be handled by the railway. Intimation has been received that beer, wine, and spirits will be carried on the railways in small quantities. The attendance at the Technical College has been seriously affected.