THE RAILWAY SERVICES.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1918, Page 1

THE RAILWAY SERVICES.

THE CURTAILMENT QUESTION

The following correspondence has been received from the Rt. Hon. thePrime Minister by the Westland County Council, dealing with the protest against the unnecessary curtailment of

train service,^: — “I am in receipt of your letter of tlie 4tli instant, advising that the Westland County Council supports the resolution passed hv the Greymouth Borough Council on the subject of train services and railway charges. In reply, I bog to enclose for the information of the members of the Council, a copy of a memorandum of the 23rd ultimo from the Hon Mr. Herries explaining the policy of the Railway Department in regard to those matters.” 1 ENCLOSURE.

Memorandum for tho Right Hon. the Prime Minister: —With reference to your memorandum of 14th inst. covering \a letter, dated 12th, idom., from the Acting Town Clerk, Greymouth, embodying a resolution from the Greymouth Borough Council about limiter train' services and increased railway cliaifgcs: I have the honour to make the following observations, which I hope will explain tffe policy' of the Railway Department tb the satisfaction of the Council. I “I think it will be admitted by everyone that the great needs of the British Empire for the conduct of this war are:—

(1) An adequate supply of men. (2) An adequate supply of food, muni tions and material.

.. New Zealand, right from the commencement' of the war agreed to supply men and food to the utmost of her ability. The supply- of men has always beer represented to the Government as tin most important, and from the recent remarks of Sir Auckland Geddes. Minister for National Services, it may be considered that the urgency of man power is as acute as ever.

“From the beginning of the war the Railway-Department has adopted the policy of releasing every man desirous of volunteering for the Front that b could spare. When compulsory service was introduced nearly a'll the men th" could be spared had already volunteered, and the policy of the Department was to adopt when its employees were drawn in the ballot had to be considered.

“Two courses were open,—firstly to reduce the train services and facilities in order to release more men, and secondly to maintain train services and refuse to release any men that were balloted. In view of the urgent need of men and the necessity of maintaining the Reinforcements and exhausting Division 1 before calling on Division 2, Cabinet decided that the fisrt course was the one to he adopted, especially as it was desirable that the Department he ing the largest employer of labour in the Dominion, should set an example.

“The reduction of train. services was conducted on tho following principle (1) to eliminate services that were for non-essential purposes, such as races, regattas, spprtf}, etc., wbjch ar? not

necessary for Ihe war, (2) to eliminate services that wore redundant or non- j paying, and (3) to ondeavour.to run the 1 train s as to employ as far as possible one shift of men. This meant confining’ the running of trains between certain hours of the day and eliminating every night and Sunday train. The'running I of ordinary and special goods trains, eg- j pocially those containing supplies for the? Old Country, must be maintained to tlieir full extent as produce i s of the utmost importance.

‘This policy h-as been carried cut since last May, with the result that since the beginning of the war about 7.000 employees, permanent and casual, have gone, or arc going to the‘Front; and though every endeavour has been made to replace them by engaging youths, returned so!diei- s and men who had retired, as well as women for cer-

tain jobs, the Department's at the present time 4,000 short of its normal quota. “It must he remembered tnat the men taken for the Army arc ,the pick of the Department’s employees, those in the prime of life and in the best- health and the most difficult to replace, especially if they are trained men. as they mostly are.

“Another reason for reducing the train services and 011 c which would have to be considered bad not the question of releasing men for the Reinforcements come up, is that of the shortage of coal. The Railway Department has never been able to obtain all its supplies from the New Zealand .mines. On an average about 4(i per cent, per annum is obtained from New South Wales. The Department was unable to get any supplies from New South AVales during the recent strike there, and since then it has been almost impossible to get steamers to bring supplies over. This shortage would probably have compelled a certain amount- of reduction in services even if the men had been here.

“AYitli regard to increases in charges: the following is the positions The first 10 per cent, increase was levied in 1915, as part/of a general scheme of taxation for war purposes, just as in the case of the increase on postage on letters, etc., as is shown in the Financial Statement 01 that vear.

“The 10 per-cent, increase levied this year is duo to the increases by way of bonus to the Railway employees, namely 2s p day to married meil and Is a day to unmarried men. This amounts to £375,000 a year, and the second 10 per cent, will cover this and go a little way t-o meet the enormous increase in the price of materials and supplies used by the Railway Department £123,000 more than it did in 1914. “I have no fear hut that the net revenue estimated by the Minister of Finance to be obtained from the railways from the year ending 31st March, 19lX will he more than realised, notwithstanding the fact that thcqwnr bonus was not, included in the estimate of expenditure.

“With regard to this bonus, no one will, I believe say- that it should not have been given. The Railway-men have well deserved recognition for their loyal tv and good service and when every trade was getting a rise, it would not have been right for the Government, which ought to sot an example,’ to do an injustice to its own men.—(Signed. W. H. Herries, Minister of Railways.”