OUR RAILWAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1922, Page 2

OUR RAILWAYS

POLICY STRONGLY CONDEMNED,

[my TEI.EOIIAPII —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION]

CHRISTCHURCH, March 7

The Government’s railway policy was vigorously attacked to-day at the conference of delegates oi th c United Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Associations of New Zealand. Mr Mitchell (Dunedin) said lie was sur 0 ever)’ person iti New Zealand resented; the absolutely senseless why in which the New Zealand Railways were beiiig rulh Me proceeded to giV 0 instances of aliened had ihailfigeriierit, Me said tliilt instead of iiiakiilg the railways mbre attractive, tile Goverliiiieiit was doing juSt the reverse; while frbm a business point of view, the action taken hv the Government for so-called economies, would never hold water. Several constituencies were practically controlled by railway servants, which showed where the political influence came in. He moved to th e effect that tiie Gpveriinlei.lt lie asked to takfe steps to sell the railways:

Mr A. Thompson (Aiickiand) shid no business man could tolerate the manner in which the railways were being run to-day.

Mr F. H. King (Otago) said the world’s experience had been that Stateowned railways never had been a success, while those of private enterprise

were. Mr B. 0. ('roll (Wellington) did not think the motion would go very far. hut it might resuscitate a dormant spark and lead towards a better system.

Mr H. J. Clifton (Auckland) agreed that too much could not he said against the manner in which the railways were conducted, but to suggest that their management should pU.ss into the hands of a. private combine wtls altogether !l.gaiitst the ideas of a democratic country, and would come ill from such a body as tiie Commercial Travellers’ Association. Such a motion should Hot go forth from the Association. Mi* D. W. McLean (Auckland) said the whole matter resolved itself into tlie Heed for moi-e commercial rneii in the Government. Personally he thought the motion was a little too strong, and he would like to see the words regarding the selling deleted. Mr Mitchell agreed to amend the, motion to read as follows, which he moved: “That in consequence of our members* realisation that the railways are not being run in the best interests of the country, and of their conviction that tli e only solution' of the existing difficulties lies in proper commercial oontrol, it is hereby resolved that the Government he asked to ocnsider the advisability of selling tli e railways, with a view to their being conducted under efficient management.” Later on, Mr Mitchell agreed to accept a modification of his motion. The alteration lay only in regard to the “selling” part of the motion, the last part of which was altered to read “that the Government be asked to consider the advisability of taking steps to bring the Department under efficient commercial control; free from political influence.”

In that form the motion was carried