COAL SHORTAGE AND RESTRICTED TRAIN SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 296, 10 September 1919, Page 7

COAL SHORTAGE AND RESTRICTED TRAIN SERVICES

(To the Editor.) . _ Sir.—Will you allow me ■ space for a row remarks on this subject, oa from tho position I held in the liaihvay Department up to March 31 lust no one outside .the service can be better qualified to throw light on the mutter? . For the last ten years, us traffic superintendent. I have responsible for .the allocation and distribution of rolling stock—for threo years in the North, and tor tho last seven years in the South ls-land-and I can say without the slightest four 'of contradiction ■ that for the whole of that time, and for some considerable time longer, the Railway Department has had difficulty in obtaining sufficient coat to carry on tho train services' and at the same time get up a reserve stock. On several occasions the stocks have been reduced almost to a vanishing ooint. owinir to striker, and shipping troubles. The Railway Department's policy has always been to try to build ud a sufficiently large reserve stock of coal to meet strikes, etc., and on very manv occasions, owing to ' absence of strikes, etc.. for some length of time good reserves have accumulated, only to be asain depleted by labour and shipping difficulties. The "go-slow" policy had not then . been adopted, and there was not tho same difficulty in building up reserves neain after trouble as there has been during the last two years or so, and as a consequence the last reserve I stock that the Railway Department had carefullv built up has oornpletely meltec awav. The constant trouble with the watersiders and seamen, coupled with the "co-slow" policy of the miners, ' has brought about the present state' of things. Mr. Sample's statement that tho Railway Department lately had stocks of coal in their yards (I suppose he meant depots i greater than ever. before is as childish as it is inaccurate. Ho was evidently unaware of the fact that at every coal depot a return is kept showing daily the amount of coal received, the amount distributed, and the balance in hand at the end of tho day. Every week a return is sent from all depots to the ohief mechanical engineer, '. Wellington, and at anv moment the General Manager can say to a few lons how much coal is on hand at the depots throughout New Zealand. Had Mr. Semple known this. I scarcely think ho would have beenso foolish as to tumble into the soup in such a way. Even if Mr. M'Villy we;-e the brightest and most accomplished liar since the time.of Ananias aud Snpphira—instead of what ho really is, aimost painfully blunt and truthful in li is statementshe would scarcely be so foolish as to pledge his official reputa'.iou on a point which, if false, ho knous can be disproved at onco by the coal depot returns. Another equally childish and extraordinary statement made by Mr, Semple is in saying that one great cause of tho coal shortage is the bad condition of the rolling stock. I can again state emphatically that up to March 31 last the rolline stock was in first-class condition, and when it is borno in mind that owing to falling off in traffic the workshops have been able to overhaul a larger number of trucks than usual it is scarcely likely that trucks can bo in a worse condition now than at the date mentioned. I'or a great many years it has been tho policy of the Department to give coal steamers at the various ports preference in tho matter of trucks over steamers with ordinary cargo, as the Union Company of New Zealand can well testify, in order to indues shipping ownnrs to carrv coal for the railways. During tho last three e:r four years of Mr. Eonavnc's management one of bis chief troubles was the difficulty in obtaininu' coal. This was increasing when Mr. lliley wan appointee', got worse as the war went on and strikes and shipping troubles increased, and was at its worst when Mr. M'Villy was appointed General Manager. I could say a great deal moro to prove Unit tho railway management, past and present, is not to blame, and point out whore blame might, perhaps, more truly be cast; but I I do not wish to< enter in'o political mat-1 tors.—l am, ec, I S. F. WHITCOMBE, Late Traffic Superintendent of South Island Railways. . September 5. •