RAILWAY AND MOTOR

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 125, 23 November 1932, Page 6

RAILWAY AND MOTOR

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —''Xew Zealander," in advocating motor transport to the disadvantage of railways, appearing in your issue of Monday, does not mention the fact that our railways system was first in the field by, say. half a century, nor does he recognise, apparently, that its business may be protected quite morally by every means which science and ingenuity can suggest. •

As a people we encouraged the wrong sort of witerprise when.' we improved our arterial highways with the object of reducing operating costs o£ motor vehicles, and to be "surprised now, as some people appear to be, that such vehicles have captured some of the railways business is surely ridiculous.' What else could have been expected? That circumstance, how•ever, heed not be; laboured, attention having been drawn to. it from time to time, just as people have been reminded also that those of us who use motor vehicles, when we might use a" railway, are paying for two services .'for ] one performed—that is to say, the.payer of ,the motor service pays also for shortage' of 'railway revenue pirated. by the motor—retributive justice, perhaps. ■ ,'■'. .

Amongst its many adversities, the country is fortunate in its present railways administration; which should not, be thwarted in its efforts to get the best results; from the huge organisation entrusted^to it, unless it can be conclusively established that some feature of its management is harmful to the best interests of the people as a whole.—l am, etc., B. DAWSON.