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Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1924, Page 2

The new awakening on the part o: the Railway Department with regard to the commercial side of .its life is said to lie having a pronounced ell'ec*. This is good to hear. Already the policy of developing the commercial side of the Xew Zealand railways, saws a late telegram, i.s having good results. The .Minister, the Hon. .1, (!. Coates, states that the department wants the people’s business, anti has its commercial agents out to canvass for it. For a while the effect of the new policy was not noticed. Now it could lie said however, that where formerly the department had a freight of 1.300 bales of wool the agents have been aide to collect nearly 5000 bales, all of which went liv road before. Another instance of the result of sending out the commercial agents was that in a district of six dairy factories which formerly gave no freight to the railways, the department now gets all the freight. .Mr C-oates says lie proposes to reduce haulage costs in certain directions, and that the department is going to try motor engines, and have motor lorries running as feeders. Freights and faies he wants to reduce, and the department wants the business of the people. The department was going to carry the war into the camp "here the business lay and compete "itli the motor opposition. Tlecently freights were reduced on benzine, and now they have been brought down on kerosene and wool. The reduction on kerosene is from 22 per cent, to ‘Jo per rent., and on wool the surcharge of 10 per cent, has been reduced to 25 per cent. T’nD forward movement will lie appreciated and if, there he any comment on the subject, it would be because tlie matter has been left in abeyance so long and opposition means of transport afforded the opening to establish ilsell in many centres. The new-born yea I of the Department .seems to suggest that the railways "ill recover a good deal of their lost trade. In the more populous centres, the railways now are mooting keen competition ill regal'd to passenger services also. A eut in fares might do something to meet ibis, but better train services, both in legat'd to speed and convenience would l.e helpful also. Tn tliis district the Department is very slow in inaugurating a faster service. 'Pile railway journeys are sLill protracted. though on emergency it was •shown last -week when the Hail" ay Magnates whisked 'through t!he district. that time being the essence i I the contract, fast journeys could be made. A quicker service would popularise the trains more and more, and discount opposition. Seeing that the tourist season i.i now at hand, ibis as; eel is worth considering with the object i f popularising the trains against motor services.

WTiii.k the military value of very larg* submarines is questioned by officers experienced in the handling of imdenva ter craft, several of the principal navies "ill shortly be reinforced by submitline erelseis. "itli dimensions greatly in excess of those of any boat now in coimivs-.1-in, "mites the “Elngineor.” Britain's latest submarine, tlie XT. which is understood to he coinpletiii-j her trials, is shown in the Admiralty publication, ‘‘Particulars of British War Vessels. ’’ to displace 2.780 tonson the surface and 3.(>')(l tons when submerged. So far as is known, ticXI is the largest representative of her type hitherto built in Kuriipe, but the Freiu-h Government is about to j lace eoliiracts for two niibmarine cruisers each with nii: face d'.spla:eluents of 3.001) tons. Of moderate speed, tlcy are specially designed for habitability and a wide radius of action. In Ibe I'nited Stales there lias just hecn

launched the ‘•fleet submarine" VI. of 2,02-7 tens, the first of a class of three boats built to accompany the hattl ? fleet at sea. for which purpose they will have a speed of 22 knots, .lanili! is now reported to have ac(|tiired cortuijn plans from Professor Oswald Flnmm. a well-known Gorman constructor. who lias prepared drawings of a 7.000-ton submersible, ] luted with armour and mounting two Sin. guns. That Japan Would embark oil the construction of such very large vessels, which would be purely experimental if type, is very doubtful, but- she is said to have begun work 111 one or more boats of approximately 3,000 tons, which embody the Flnmm system -if stability and under water control. This system, according to the inventor, enables heavy weights to be carried on the deck of a submarine without impairing its stability when below water