RAILWAY PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 3, 28 September 1921, Page 5

RAILWAY PROBLEMS

“SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES AHEAD.’

At the gathering in honour of Mr. 3. Young by members of the Railway Officers’ "institute references were made to the falling-off in the net earnings of the railways, and the _ possible or probable future railway policy. Mr R. AV. M’Villy, general manager of railways, in responding to tho toast of “The Management,” said that the management at tho present time seemed to bo getting more rocks than bouquets thrown at it, and the railways were now face to face with the most difficult period in their history, in consequence oi five! or six years of heavy expenditure, and the curtailment of the spending power of the public. When they reached a situation like that, people at once commenced, to abuse the managemen , and this wa# the experience everywhere. When'rates and fares wero reduced to less than they should have been the management was gi ven 110 credit. JAhat would the country have been if it Had not been for the railways, and to whom was the credit due for tho achievements that had been brought about? Xlt was due to the men who carried on the railways. ' When Mr. Hiley had been appointed general manager he had expected tliat the railways in Now Zealand would bo a sort of glorified tramway; but ho had found a big railway system, well organised and maintained, and Mr. Hiley had placed that -fact on record. Tho management had been trying to earrv on in accordance with tho traditions of the past; but what credit bad they got for it? Did they get any credit for obtaining coal supplies' when no nno clso was able to get coal, and without which tho railways would have been brought to a standstill? When the railways wero short of coal, the manage-, ment were blamed, and now it. ;wm being said that they had too big a supply It was not anything new to him to be abused; he had lived long enough, and hud been long enough m the Uiailwav Service to take hard- knocks—and to give them back. At the present time tho railway expenditure exceeded the revenue, and this was ■'the first time that the New Zealand railways had had to dip into tho Consolidated Fund. Air. M’Arley: But things aro improv'DMr. MWilly said that ho was not optimistic, and when they had reached a stage such as he had explained, the aspect was serious, and the question was how long it could continue. There were clouds in tho sky, and very serious difficulties' were ahead. Tho management alwavs tried to meet the railway__socioties in the spirit that Mr. Young had referred to; but they were on one side of the fence, and ho was on the other, and ho had got to do what was best for tho country. Therefore, they could realise that his difficulties wore as great as those of the gentlemen the societies sent nloni- to interview him from time to timeT He was sorry when he had to say “No ” and it was a pleasure to nun to be able to' say “Yes,” but be did not shirk saying “No" when he thought k was his duty to do go.