RAILWAY SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1930, Page 7

RAILWAY SERVICE

FAITH IN THE FUTURE. MINISTERIAL REVIEW. Faith in the future of the Railway Department was expressed by the Hon. W. A. Veitcli, Minister of Rail, ways, in the House during the debate on the Railways Statement. Holding that the present position was serious, necessitating a drastic and iwniiprehensivie remedy, thb Minister said that unless the finances were strengthened and unnecessary competition eliminated the Department would be faced not with the question of discharging a few hundred men, but the question of reducing the permanent staff. The Minister said the gross earnings of the Department during last year were £8,250,000, which showed a decrease over the previous five years of £90,000. As against that there was an increase of nearly £900,000 in the working expenses of the Department. At first sight those figures give one the impression that there had been carelessness 'in expenditure, but the more he analysed the problem the more he realised that, in face of the difficulties confronting the Department—the loss in revenue it was constantly hoped to overtake it by providing better and more extensive services—there was a great deal to he said in justification of the increase. Last year it was necessary to expend £250,000 in overtaking arrears in repairs. On the whole there was no reason to condemn the railway administration up to the present point.

ECONOMIES EFFECTED. Mr Veitcli said that no major changes of policy were being made until the report of the Royal Commission came to hand. When that report was received the whole policy of the Department would Ibe investigated, with a view to meeting the new situation. At the same time several economies had been effected. For instance, there had been an elimination of train mileage of 870,000 train miles per annum. Experience ■ showed that it would he folly to continue such methods, spending large sums of money chasing traffic which it was impossible to catch. Referring to the closing of branch lines, the Minister said that in this connection he had had his most satisfactory and pleasant experience. Today they were in the happy position of being able to keep a number of the lines going owing to the response which .had been made by the resident® of the localities affected. Vigilant committees had been set up in the various districts, and as a result the Department was getting a lot of business which 'it had previously lost. DISMISSALS OF STAFF. The Minister remarked that he had come in? for criticism by reason of the necessity oif dispensing with the services of a considerable number of men. That was the one and only painful duty that had devolved on him since he took charge of the Railway Department. He was one of those who believed that the Railway service had a great future, and still had a big part to play in the development of the ' country. Unless they could strengthen the finances of the Department, unless they conic! pass such transport legislation as would enable them to eliminate waste and unnecessary competition, and unless they could effect measures of economy and carry out improvements in the Department, the time would come when it would not be a question of dispensing with the services of a few hundred men, but a question of decreasing the number of permanent men employed in the Department. It was his responsibility and his duty to take a firm hold of the position. He was not going to live in a ‘‘coward’® castle.” “We need have no fear as to the future of the Department,” said Air Veitch. “At present the Department is suffering' along with everybody else as a result of depression, but it has to be remembered that the depression is not permanent and that the good times will come again. It will be necessary to carry out further drastic economies in the future n

Mr W. J. Jordan (Labour, Manuka u) : Wliat do you mean bv economies in the future? Do you mean more - men will . be. discharged ? The Minister: No one knows what the future has in store. A slight increase in production from the land will give the Department a great deal mor© business, as will development of land settlement, hydro-elec-tricity, and tourist traffic. There is no doubt that the position is very serious indeed, and calls for a drastic and comprehensive remedy. But we must realise that the future is full of hope;