COAST RAILWAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 February 1925, Page 2

COAST RAILWAYS

DEPUTATION TO .MINISTER. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. ’2O. A large and representative deputation tlie West Coast waited upon Mr J. G. Coates, Minister of Railways, 10-nighl to protect, against, tlie removal nf icrtaiu executive oiliceis of tho Department and the change in the workshops at i licyfinuiili. as proposed under ll.e .Minister’s new railway policy. After the Minister bad made his rcp 1 , the members of Lbe deputation took a brighter view of the future.prospecis of the Coast in connection with railway matters, anil the .Minister was thanked for his statement.

Mr James O’Brien, Member for Westland, introduced the deputation. In the course of his reply, Mr Coates said that, so far as the traffic Department was concerned, the Railway Department was out to give service, and anything which tended to retard service. would Ire rectified at once. Hie Department guaranteed that the services would not lie worse, hut would be verv much better.

T!ie railway workshops, said Mr Coates, were to be separated from the hirer. Department. Addington and Burnside were lo do tiic heavy con-

struction work. The Department’s proposals, said the minister, were to carry out the light running repairs at Invercargill and at Greymouth. The heavy repairs and construction would he done at the other two shops. Tin. Railway Department considered, he said, that it would lie able to safe upwards of a quarter of a million »» twelve months and he able to double the engine mileage hv modernising its shop equipment. It was a lact that the Railways were eiiicient. Ihe change i„ officers would not he a rctrogade step. The officers would give as good and better service through the system getting on its ieet. Rewarding the West Const changes, Mr Contes said that a difficult point was that it might he necessary to shift men who had made their homes m Greymouth. hut they would not make •my" transfer until they had gone thoroughly into the position. The Coast, said .Mr Coates, would not suifer. , ~ Mr ~1. Steer (Chairman of the (jic>mouth Harbour Board) said that he considered that the Minister had made a reallv enlightening explanation ot his new measures. Ii Mr Coates was r out to .rive them an improved service, then they should he thoroughly satisfied. Mr Butler (Hokitika): “I hope von will take our assurance that we don t want to hamper you in your efforts to <»renter eilieiem-y. ' Mr Coates accepted the assurance readilv. The Minister said that the new system would put authority on the men in the service right down the scale. I lie men who had no chance to show their initiative ami ability would get tneii chance. “If a man makes a mistake. In- said “1 don’t say that we will sack the man who makes a mistake this time. He will probably do well next time.”