WELLINGTON TOPICS
FACING THE PROBLEM.
RAMWAY REVIEW
(Special Correspondent.* f
WELLINGTON, July 4
It has been left to the new Prime Minister, the ■ Hon. G. W-. Forbes, and the new, Minister of. ..Railways, the Hon. \V. to. take the first definite step towards clearing, tip the Dominion Vs superfluity of railway services and railway servants. There will be much sympathy for. those setr tiers in the bacliblocks who will be deprived of many of the travelling facilities they hitherto have enjoyed, and much, more for those members "of the railway .service who. through ho fault of their own, will be compelled to look tpr employment elsewhere. This development has been inevitable, however, for several years .past, distinguished experts, a- highly paid manager and sanguine politicians all having failed to avert the troubles arising from over-wiling and road competition. Mr Forbes and his colleagues have lost no time in making amends for the hesitation of their predecessors in office, but it still remains to be .seen what Parliament will think of the matter.
THE OTHER FELLOWS.
Meanwhile the worker.ii affected by the Government’s determination to cut, down the superfluity of railway services and railway servants, are not remaining silent in. regard to the Government’s decision. In the House, Mr J. T. Hogan. > the Independent member for Rangytiken, urges •'that the Minister of Railway? should decline to authorise'the dismissal of any more men from the. railway service until ha receives, the : report of the Royal Commission in railway matters which may recommend that the whcle of the present staff -shall be ‘ retained. Mr Voiteh, while wishing he could ,give effect to' Mr Hogan’s . suggestion, cannot take'' upon himself ‘ the responsibility;!of such a proceeding. The truth is j’tWt the installation or a large amount; of machinery into the new raiMa^'fworkshops/has made that arrangement’ 1 impossible. The position has been so vastly changed by the introduction of machinery that the retention of the present large staff is impossible.
PLAIN FACTS.
Many of their political opponents, as well a 9 practically : the whole of their political friends approve of the policy of the Prime Minister and the Minister Railways :in - putting ,an end to the unremuneratie. train services that have been mounting up the railway deficit ever ,since this method of combating the road traffic was initiated.' Even the newspapers, which must have reaped a rich barvest from the railway advertising, have nothing to say in opposition to the cut. “Business principles must be applied,” the “Post” insists, ‘‘and if the better service does not pay, the loss be out by curtailment, Probably there will be protests, especially from those districts, where branch lines or jaedtibns are to be closed, but such protests •{ will not carry great weight if it is found (as it will be in most instances) that the people of the district have been giving all thenpayable business to the road service.’ The exceptions will be few and far between, Ministers having, quite made i»p their minds on the matters.
NO CONFIDENCE
Mr Coates’s motion of no confidence in" the United Government yesterday occasioned little stir in the House and none at all ih the city. The indictments framed by the Leader of the Reform Opposition were directed, it would seem, rathef against the Ward Government than against the Forbes Government, but they provided the material for a long debate upon a multitude of subjects with which the public of course should be acquainted. The “Dominion” this morning explains the purpose of the motion in its own way. “A useful purpose will be served by the no confidence motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition in' the House of Representatives yesterday. ’lt will clarify the political position by forcing, the parties to declare themselves. In fact, when the motion is put to the test of a division, the time will have come for a political showdown.” And w.iat then? Surely a Parliament elected nineteen months ago has by this time acquainted itself with such a detail.
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Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1930, Page 2
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665WELLINGTON TOPICS Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1930, Page 2
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