RAILWAY INQUIRY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1930, Page 2

RAILWAY INQUIRY

POINTS OF POLICY TO BE INVESTIGATED.

WELLINGTON, June H

The order of reference of the Railway Commission has been practically completed, ready for handing to the Commission, and it was stated by the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. A\. Forbes, in answer to a question from a “Times” correspondent to-night, that he expects the first meeting to be held next week.

“It is my intention,” added the Prime Minister, “to ask the Commission to report before the end ol August, so that its recommendations and the Government’s decisions thereon can be placed before Parliament. “In setting up this commission of investigation in respect to railway finance " continued tlie Prime Minister, “this action is not to be taken as any reflection on tlie management and staff of the railway service. I recognise that, the men who are responsible for running the railways are capable and efficient officers and that they are actuated by a keen desire to get tlie best possible results from the service, both from the financial and the public utility points of view. They are not responsible for many of the points of policy, and it is in these directions that the Government feels that there is need for investigation. The railways administration, ns such, is not on its trial, us has been .nuggested in some quarters, but it is the policy with which the officers have been entrusted which requires overhauling, so that Parliament and the country will clearly understand what are its weaknesses from a financial point of view, nnd what can be done to remedy the very big lo=s now being thrown upon the taxpayer. “We have a large sum of money to provide in respect to working railways this year, as I indicated in a recent survey of our national finance, atyi we have to decide how much of that can be justifiably incurred in respect to the national utility services the railways are giving, what is a fair thing to ask the taxpayer to bear ancl what economies can be effected in the operation of the railways.”