THE REPLY OF MR. CONYERS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1984, 3 July 1880, Page 3

THE REPLY OF MR. CONYERS.

[fhom orrs own coebbspondknt.] WELLINGTON, July 2. Mr Conyers’ reply to the accusations in the Civil Service Commissioners’ report was laid on tha table this afternoon. After remarking that the report of the Commissioners commences with tha admission of having gone exhaustively into none of the subjects of which it treats, and that it is in some respects superficial, notwithstanding the conclusions arrived at and the opinions expressed, are very different and largely directed against himself,and contain a direct impeachment of his administration as head of the railway department of the Middle Island, Mr Conyers says—“lt will be for the Government, the Souse, and the public, among whom I confidently expect to have fair and impartial judges, to decide whether the reportjis not only confessedly superficial to such an extent as to render it untrustworthy, but further, whether it is not inaccurate and misleading, and the opinions expressed either the result of a foregone conclusion, or otherwise hastily formed judgment, derived from a superficial insight into matters with which the commissioners were insufficiently acquainted.” Ho alleges there are in their statements so much inconsistency and misapprehension that it requires some amount of patience to separate what is correct from what is erroneous. After explaining elaborately the system of management on European and American lines, ha says : —“ On the Middle Island railways of New Zealand the system of management is precisely in accordance with the above-stated arrangement. I myself hold the position and exercise the functions of general manager. My title of Commissioner of Railways was not chosen by myself, and does not affect the fact that my duties are those of general manager solo and proper. I have under me three distinct branches of the service,viz., the traffic, locomotive, andpermaneut way, with officers appointed to each department, the duties of which they were fitted to fill. The traffic managers have been termed general managers with the object of fulfilling certain statutory requirements, which were found necessary while lines were disconnected ; but nevertheless their duties and functions are those of traffic managers. The Civil Service Commissioners state that the principle of management as practised on the railways is here so far ignored that the traffic manager is precluded from giving an order to the engine-driver except through the locomotive engineer. Now they have begun with admitting the necessity of conforming to the accepted usages in other countries, and of having but one controlling head of the working railways. In the last sentence they regard the controlling head as the traffic manager, and complain that he cannot control the enginedrivers. They here confound the functions of traffic manager with those of general manager.” He next describes the system under which orders are given, and adds that one of the mo’t prominent duties of the traffic manager is that of ordering the movements of trains. The rule is that the traffic manager only shall have the power to alter the appointed crossing place of two trains. This is the regular practice on other railways. Mr Conyers proceeds—“ Daring my examination the Commissioners particularly pressed me on this point, alleging that when the trains were behind time this rule was productive of further delay. They Istrongly insisted that every station master should be empowered to arrange the crossing places of trains and alter them to suit the emergencies that may occur. I entirely disagreed with them, because I know that any such arrangement on single lines of railway, such as these principally are, would inevitably result in the collision of trains, and consequently tho loss of life. I still adhere to my rule that no such discretionary power is to be allowed to any but tho traffic manager upon tho division allotted to his control. This officer has quite enough on his hands to properly arrange for tho safe running of trains, together with the discharge of the rest of the duties connected with traffic. If, as supposed by tha Commissioners, his time should be occupied in looking after matters connected with the rolling stock or permanent way, the confusion into which the train arrangements would bo thrown, and disaster consequent thereon, may be readily foreseen. Tho commissioners proceed to give an example of the extent to which my alleged mismanagement has been carried in the reference they make to engine drivers having stopped at certain points, acting under orders from the locomotive engineer. The matter is not, in my opinion, worthy of the prominence tho Commissioners 1 have given it. But as it has been mentioned, I i will state the facta.” Mr Conyers accordingly explains that this occurred on tho North Can- . terbury Railway while ho was stationed in Dunedin, and under an old rule with which he ' had nothing to do. Ho adds, “The circum- ' stance was reported, and a circular amend- | ing tho rule was adopted, which has ‘ been safely worked to ever since. I draw ’ particular attention to the fact that the ■ rule under which this difficulty arose was not I made by me, neither was I consulted respecting j it, nor in any way responsible for its issue, and i I ask what right have the Commissioners to > advance this as an instance of my mismanagea ment. It seems to me it either goes to show 3 that they have been seeking far and wide tc 1 make out a case against me, or otherwise, as 1 > prefer to believe, that they have not gone 1 sufficiently exhaustively into tho subject to fora > a correct, apprehension of the matter. Under the heading ‘ confusion,’ vague allusion is i made to some order of mine affecting tin e engine drivers which the Commissioners find wa;

too literally interpreted, and as a consequence the public suffered loss of time and incurred some danger. I have no difficulty in recognising in this a reference to a special order issued by me directed against the dangerous practice of running trains at an excessive speed to make up time lost by delays. The lines in New Zealand were not constructed in a manner to admit of anything like the speed commonly attained on I many first class railways at homo. To exceed the rate of speed for which the railway is adapted by its construction is not only highly dangerous, but is productive of enormous waste and ioss from excessive wear and tear, and I have strictly enjoined a moderate limit of speed to be adhered to by the traffic manager in the compilation of the time tables of the trains. It is impossible to prevent the occasional occurence of a train being behind time. It would bo futile to restrict the rate of speed to twenty miles an hour, if it be allowed that when trains are late they can run at forty miles au hour to make up time. The tendency to run at an excessive speed is a growing one, unless kept duly in check. There is no discretionary lino that can ha drawn to define at what speed a train half an hour behind time may be run. Therefore it is necessary to impose an authoritative limit. As I do not desire that on the railways under my charge the ultimate limit should bo reached, that is that the train should run off the railway through travelling at an excessive speed, I have imposed other limits. It is no doubt provoking to passengers when the train is delayed, perhaps in the early part of the journey, to find that they are kept behind time for a considerable part c.f the day. But they will, doubtless, agree with me that it is better that it should be so, than to run the risk of an accident through running at a reckless speed to make up a little time. It behoves a careful manager to put into force all proper and necessary restraint. To withdraw it as the Commissioners would have it ; would he to court confusion and danger. With regard to the railway telegraph, opinions may vary as to the real economy of its maintenance and abolition, I have strongly advocated its maintenance. It was not, however, initiated by me, as the Commissioners allege, although under the able superintendence of an officer appointed by my desire, the efficiency of the service was largely improved. The railway telegraph was first introduced by the Provincial Government of Canterbury. Under my management since then the electric signalling has been established on parts of the railway, where, from the formation of the country, and the consequent inability of the drivers to see more than a few yards ahead of them, the lino was as dangerous even as the Lyttelton tunnel itself, unless a proper system of signalling were in use. The introduction of the telegraph into the railway stations has resulted in a direct savin g of time, labor, and money, besides adding largely to the security of the traffic. This I have extended. The advantage of railway officers being instructed in telegraphy is recognised by the Commissioners, and they advise its encouragement. Under my system of railway telegraph this was already done with marked success. The stationmasters, signalmen, railway clerks, and office boys were trained iu telegraphy, and telegraph clerks were trained for railway duties. No addidonal hands were introduced, as the report would load the reader to suppose, to swell the ranks of fostered departments, but the addition of the telegraph to subserve the requirements of the extended railway system was my sola end in view. If the Commissioners really consider that telegraphists unacquainted with railway working can as fitly serve for railway operators, at least X may be allowed to differ in opinion. The system is already abolished, and the railway telegraph is for the future amalgamated with the general public telegraph service. I did not recommend this course, but still I endeavoured to further the wishes of the Government in the matter of economy, and so long as the efficiency of the service is not seriously impaired I shall be content. Under the heading unnecessary officers, reference is made to the locomotive engineers. Do the Commissioners intend the public to suppose that a loeemotive engineer is unnecessary at Dunedin ? It is not to bo supposed that a witness in an hour’s interview will be able to make four persons new to the subject acquainted with the various and intricate duties of a locomotive engineer or superintendent. To entrust the care and working of fifty-five locomotive engines of the value of £90,000 to a shop foreman .however long experienced, would neither be prudenH nor practicable. If the service is to improve and keep pace with the advancement of the age, a nnmber of matters of detail must be attended to < with the minutest attention and care over and above the actual repairing of machinery, which the Commissioners suppose to ho the snm total of the engineer's duties. With regard to the i fitness of the particular person to hold the position, those are best qualified to judge who are acquainted with the manner in which he discharges his duties. To assume that no man by his ability, energy and perseverance, . can qualify himself for any sphere beyond the one he originally commenced in, is to lay down a principle that would disqualify many men for the positions they have held and still hold with credit and success. There are numerous instances known to everyone of men distinguished ] in their professions who are wholly self-taught, i The traffic manager at Nelson is entrusted also : with the maintenance of the way as well as the 1 superintendence of the locomotives, not only on • the Nelson line, but also on tho Picton and i Blenheim line. He is a regularly trained 1 mechanical engineer. It would be suicidal i to place six valuable engines in charge of ! stationmasters who know nothing whatever of construction or working. It is stated that the Nelson storekeeper has no stores and no offices, and receives £l6O per year. There is an officer at Nelson who receives and issues and keeps accounts of stores, but the total cost of the work, salary, and all told for the nine months ending 31st March, 1880, was under £3O. Included in this indictment against the South Island Commissioner, and among the_ list of ‘ other unnecessary officers ’ reference is made to the assistant manager of the Kaipara railway. By the m anner this clerk is introduced into the report the cursory reader,not observing that this is a North Island railway, may readily be misled into the supposition that another case of the South Island Commissioner’s extravagance has been discovered, and his mind is influenced accordingly. This is another matter laid ogaiast rue < with which I have no connection whatsoever. Next it is stated ‘that entirely unnecessary gates are maintained at railway crossings for the purpose of giving employment to old railway servants.’ The remark follows that • with such examples cropping up on the surface, and disclosed by a hasty investigation, there can be little donbt that a large nnmber of unnecessary officers would be discovered by the head of a department really wishing to'removo them.’ When I first took charge of the Canterbury Railways iu 1877 I found double gates and gatekeepers resident at all the principal level crossings on the North, South, and Lyttelton lines within a radius of twenty miles of Christchurch. I advised the Government that a great saving could bo made, and greater safety assured, by moving the gates and throwing open the crossings. This was done, and a large nnmber of gatekeepers discharged by degrees. Some wero retained as watchmen at tho main thoroughfares on the Christchurch and Lyttelton lines. Considering the number of vehicles continually crossing the line and tho trains incessantly passing it is a matter of opinion whether the public safety will be sufficiently considered by removing the remaining few watchmen. Another point involved was that the men employed in these places were persons who had been years in the service, and had now grown too old to earn their living by ordinary work, and others who in the faithful discharge of their onerous and dangerous duties have accidently been maimed and crippled for life. And while I have frequently urged that the railway, which should bo worked as a strictly commercial undertaking, to the best possible advantage, should not ho saddled with the support iot persona who cannot perform remunerative work, I could not turn adrift to starve persons who have faithfully served and suffered in the service of the department. So -barbarous and inhuman a measure would he a stigma on my administration. Every railway company of standing makes provision for its servants. Under such conditions, means should he devised of placing the support of disabled servants of good character onalegitimate footing. There is no great saving to bo effected by turning off the few persons who remain in such capacities, and they are at the same time safeguards of the public at particularly dangerous road crossings. Another instance of mismanagement is laid to my charge. As to the great variety of locomotive engines ; of sixteen classes I am responsible for the importation of two, one for the Provincial Government of Otago some years ago, and the other since I had charge of the Middle Island railways. The rest i vvere imported by other authorities without reference to myself at all, some by the Provincial Governments of Canterbury and Otago, another by the original proprietors of tho Dunedin and Port Chalmers railway, others by tho Public Works Department, and one by the Working Railways Department on my responsibility. With reference to tho last, it was partly due to ) tho service rendered by this class of engines that larger grain trains than wore over before seen in New Zealand were run with ease and increased economy, and so contributed to tho success with which the Railway Department has coped with the last and heaviest grain season on record, freight having been dispatched with great regularity without block or bitch. No one can regret more than myself the multiplicity of classes of engines, which increases tho cost of repairs. In my evidence before the Commissioners I stated my opinion that five classes of engines would have sufficed for all varieties of work. Considering the evidence that tho Commissioners actually have in their possession, it is injustice on their part to endeavour to saddle upon me the blame of introducing tho multiplicity of classes of locomotives which they condemn. The Commissioners write :— ‘ Wo found a large staff employed by the department as contractors for the collection and delivery of

goods. This is open to the objection of throwing on the Government additional work for the public and should bo cheeked. The large staff may be reduced and the public convenience better served without increase of cost.’ Nothing could have been penned that could more completely display the utter want of ordinary business knowledge, as connected with railway working, b than the above. The delivery service is a most important part of the goods department. Without it we should be in utter confusion. Before its introduction the goods sheds were blocked; consignees were allowed to cart their own goods at their convenience. The department contracts at per ton, and charges the consignees, and in the same way if one quarter ton is delivered at Dunedin or Christchurch, one quarter ton is charged for at Is 3d per ton. Instead of throwing additional work on the Government, it has a directly contrary effect, as the contractors not only clear the sheds, but collect money. It is Tickford and Co. and Carver and Co. of Great Britain, on a small scale, that the Commissioners condemn and recommend should be checked.” As to carriages being exposed to weather, hs shows that it was unavoidable, owing to the carriages being landed for separate sections of the lino before the latter were complete, and before provision was made for housing. Ho says, “ I had not the remotest connection with these transactions. Had the Commissioners’ investigation been less superficial these tacts might have been elicited, and this unjust criticism on my management need never have been made. I am further blamed for tbo exposure of valuable engines to the weather and spray of the sea. That engines should have been thus exposed I much regret. I can refer tbo Commissioners to my numerous recommendations to the Government to authorise tbo erection of suitable sheds for the purpo-e of protecting these engines.” Mr Conyers admits the absurdity of two engineers being required to lay a new siding, but says be is not responsible for this, and be asks if any person not directly responsible to the general manager of the railways is to be permitted to displace the rails what security can be insured to the lives of passengeis travelling in the trains. “ When first appointed I found no rule to prevent any person removing rails to lay new points or do similar works which might at any moment affect the safety of trains. It was long ago recognised Iby Government that with an increasing number of trains and mileage a stricter system must bo brought into operation. Under the present regime extensive alterations have been effected on railways and in large station yards many miles of railway have been lifted and relaid, bridges built, foundations renewed, tunnels enlarged, without accident to trains or interruption of traffic. To place these works, as recommended by the commissioners, in charge of inspectors responsible only to the traffic manager, with occasional reference to any Government engineer in the locality, would bo simply to create so many independent heads fer the maintenance of the permanent way. The result would bo confusion and a want of uniformity, additional expense, and, worst of all, insecurity of traffic.’’ Mr Conyers next remarks —“ The Commissioners state that in the management of railway stores there is a want of system, supervision, and precaution so great that it can hardly fail to lead to most objectionable practices and to serious public loss. The Commissioners fail to establish one single instance of ‘ objectionable practice ’ or ‘ serious losses,’ which are so confidently spoken of when tenders have been called for their supply. What is intended to be insinuated in the first part of this paragraph I don’t know, and until the Commissioners vouchsafe an explanation I am likely to remain in the dark, but I can fearlessly assert that in the discharge of my official duties there has been no arrangement or management on my part but what has been dictated by an honest desire for the welfare of the department under my charge. Upon the point of insufficient publicity the Commissioners are iso curiously in error that I can only conclude that not having had time to investigate matters they have allowed an opinion to be given by some newspaper proprietor, who" feels sore that bis particular paper has not been made a medium of publicity. There is, so far as economy is concerned, too much publicity. Ample publicity would be gained for contracts by inserting advertisements half a dozen times in the leading papers (say two) of the principal centres of population, but under existing instructions from the Government in regard to advertising much more is done in the way of publication than is necessary, and advertising becomes a very serious item of expense against our stores, end might be diminished, not only without detriment, but with absolute advantage. The report goes on to say that public officers have had most tempting facilities offered them to gratify contractors by passing inferior articles, and the Commissioners say that they had opportunities of seeing that they did not always resist these temptations. It is to be regretted that the Commissioners do not state what the facilities referred to are, in order that steps might be taken to do away with such facilities. But I cannot too strongly condemn the latter portion of the statement. It casts a slur upon a body of honorable men who have no opportunity of defending themselves. _ If the Commissioners have obtained evidence implicating one or more individuals X submit that the suspected persons should be accused frankly and boldly and placed upon their defence, and that stigmas should not thus in the face of the public, be placed upon the whole department, most of the members of which, at all events —probably all —are guiltless of the wrong thus insinuated against them. As regards the purchase of stores, outside contracts, matters are not all that can be desired, but I have been long alive to these imperfections, and every effort is being made to render them complete. The Commissioners forgot that the railways of the colony are in their infancy, and necessarily in a progressive and growing state. Tenders have been accepted, the Commissioners state, for largely consumed articles at prices that should never have been entertained, and at a cost greatly and unnecessarily increased. This remark is another illustration of the very limited knowledge which the Commissioners possessed of the subject to which they devoted their labors. The Commissioners should have known that the working railways department has nothing whatever to do with the construction of railways or with providing material for construction, and that in using this allegation as a stone to fling at me they were making a charge against me out of a matter with which I had not the remotest connection. In respect to obtaining stores from England, as compared with contracting in the colony, I always acted under Ministerial instructions, hut I have by no means made up my mind that the course indicated by the commissioners would be the most profitable. The reorganisation of the stores department is desirable, as intimated in my annual report, not on account of ‘ waste,’ which the commissioners allege to exist and fail to prove, but’ for reasons of quite a different nature. To take stock, as recommended by the Commissioners, would only canso an interruption of business, and serve no useful purpose. Stock taking was recently performed under the Audit department. As regards the suggestion that the articles not required should ho disposed of, some time ago I obtained your sanction for the adoption of this measure. _Aa regards the charge that I have my capital invested in a firm largely contracting with thedepartment, and that my receipts from that capital depended upon the success of the firm, I placed all the circumstances before the Commissioners. They know that my money remains in the firm against my will, and under circumstances entirely beyond my control. Whether, while stating, as the Commissioners have done, that which was calculated to place me in an unfavorable light, it would not have been honorable also to state the facts, which are my justification, and which were equally within the knowledge of the Commissioners, I leave for others to decide. The facts of my connection with the firm referred to are as follows :—When I was in the service of tho Provincial Government I resigned my position to enter into partnership with Mr Davidson, and I put such capital as I possessed into the business. 3 he solicited me to resume my position in the service, offering mo a large increase of salary. I consented. I would gladly have withdrawn my capital, but by this time it was so completely absorbed in the business, that Mr Davidson found it impossible to pay me out, and at his earnest solicitation, and because I could not help myself, I allowed it to remain in the business as an investment at an interest of 8 per cent. This was with tho full knowledge and acquiescence of the Government. My partnership with Mr Davidson was dissolved by formal and legal deed, and one of my first acts on resuming my official functions was to issue an order to the effect that under no circumstances were any departmental orders to he given to Mr Davidson, and I have never made use of any influence I may possess on Mr Davidson’s behalf, directly or indirectly. Having no control over Mr Davidson, I had no means of preventing him from competing when contracts were publicly advertised, nor would I have exercised such control had I possessed it. Ho has on several occasions competed for contracts, and I believe twice obtained them, but as contracts are always given under Ministerial authority to the lowest tenderer, I leave unprejudiced persona to consider whether there are reasonable grounds for seeking to fasten an imputation on mo. Personally I have nothing to do with tho contracts, except so far that tho tenders are opened by two officers deputed for the purpose, who prepare a comparative statement of prices, and indicate by recommendation one they consider the lowest. I satisfy myself that that is correct and then forward the recommendation to tho Minister, who signifies his pleasure. I have now answered in detail the charges brought against my personal chai ractor and my administration of the Middle i Island Railway department. In their report : the Commissioners censure the arrangement of tho system, and pass a sweeping condemnation . upon it. The mutters inquired into woro too i superficially dealt with to properly understand : ' thorn. This is not so much to bo wondered at,

but what txcuse can be offered for their attempting to charge again and again on me the alleged short comings of former administrators, and blame me for matters with which I have not the remotest connection- I look to the Government as my natural protectors, to see that I have justice, and I doubt not that all impartial persons will de-ire that the tnihin these matters should be fairly established. Yon, sir, as the head of both Railway and Public Works departments, can dispense with my services, if other than satisfactory to yon. I take it for granted that, if snch were so, yon would have informed me before now, and yon are in a nosition to do this without destroying my reputation in the sphere which is the specialty of my life, in which I am well known to tho heads of the large railway establishments in many parts of tho world. Yon can at tho same time testify to the manner in which I have furthered your endeavours to make every possible retrenchment, and that by so altering the structure of tho system as to adapt it to the greatly altered financial and commercial circumstances of the colony, and that I am still effecting savings of an extent more than commensurate with tho sweeping and impracticable suggestions of the Commission; and further, that these retrenchments are of a character that will not plunge the system into confusion and demoralisation, but will bo carried out in combination with yonr arrangements concerning the departments of the Public Works. I roly upon you to protect me from the damaging effects of such a report as this, which will find circulation throughout the whole of the railway world, by giving equal publicity to the other side of tho question. lam attacked on my personal character and official reputation by persons who one day go out armed with all the authority of state. I am particularly struck that throughout their report the Commissioners exhibit no heed to any other consideration than the saving of money. I am duly alive to the absolute necessity that every possible saving and retrenchment should be made and they are actually made. A railway manager has, however, always before him a still more important consideration than tho saving of money, and that is the safety of tho lives entrusted to his care, when passenger trains are running over a widely extended system of single line railways, of cheap construction, through irregular country, and with an incomplete system of telegraph, besides many other disadvantages not known in England. No one knows better than myself the innumerable liabilities to disastrous accidents; a stone falling from a cutting, a broken rail, misplaced switch, mistaken order, defective signal, and a thousand other causes may at any moment of the day or night result in the loss of life. To secure safety over every part of such system is the first consideration to which my most particular attention is directed, and by a connected chain of responsibility and control extending from myself to the remotest employe in the island, I enforce continually a habit of vigilance and constant attention to the precaution established by experience. These matters the Commissioners have treated with disregard. They do not take into consideration tho expense inseparably connected with the systematic provision for safety. This is marked in their recommendation that tho sole management and control of 767 miles of railway should be placed in charge of a “ man of business,” not even a “ railway expert.” They would moreover divide his attention with the North Island as well. They urge that every stationmaster should he authorised to order the running of trains, and change crossing places at discretion, and this on a single lino of railway. The permanent way is to be entrusted to inspectors, as working engineers of line. What chain of communication should be established between these numerous and scattered working engineers and the managing business man is not explained. If a bridge should break down, or a retaining wall give way, tho nearest stitionmastor would send for any Government engineer who might he in the neighborhood to direct the rebuilding. If no such officer were at hand, the traffic would remain indefinitely suspended until application was made to some distant authorities to send an officer to attend to tho case. How the account! of the cost of carrying out such work would be kept by the inspectors, the reader is left to imagine. I do not think any private proprietor would so dispose of an establishment worth millions of money. When I was first transferred to Christchurch, the standing difficulty annually recurring was the block of grain traffic. Many Christchurch merchants warned me that I had under estimated tho difficulty of tho grain season, and should break down. These can vouch that no such breakdown ever occurred. System and regularity were introduced; each successive grain season has been worked more easily than that preceding, and this year, with a heavier grain crop than over before known in this island, produce is being carried without jar or difficulty, with greatly increased dispatch and economy. I do not claim personally tho credit due to the success of each detail, but I can fully claim to have organised a system under which order and regularity have been established. The old standing abases are a thing of the past. Strict regulations, defining the duties of the various employes, have been brought into operation. Through financial depression the traffic receipts have fallen off, excepting the grain ; at the same time great reductions in the working expenses have been effected. The coat of running engines has been reduced to less than half what it was in 1876, although the lines are older and more worn, and the cost of renewal consequently greater. The cost of maintenance is less than formerly, owing to the stricter regard now paid to the economy of labor and material. I do not profess that the system is perfect: much remains to be done to increase efficiency and diminish cost. It requires care while retrenching in the expenditure to effect the end in view without unduly sacrificing what is already gained, and throwing back the railway system of the colony into the and disjointed state of its earliest days. While writing this reply it has come to my knowledge that the Civil Service Commissioners have actually examined, as one of their witnesses, a person dismissed from the service for drunkenness. If they would place reliance upon such evidence as that they might as well base their report upon the statements of other persons discharged for misconduct, which can be frequently seen in the daily papers. I have, &c., William Contebs, Commissioner of Railways, Middle Island.