RAILWAY SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1931, Page 2

RAILWAY SERVICE

CHANGE OF CONTROL. WAY TO EFFICIENCY. (Associated Chambers ol' Commerce.) Very properly the first order of ‘reference. i.i un unjut.y oy a,n jv-vcenency Lae uuvtniur-otnenn ie toe recent Railway Eouinussion uireeted tnat me in embers ot taut body siiomd aseerlain wether the Geiwiau organisation of the Railway meiiL is, .mk’ii as 10 produce me maximum of economy and efficiency in auniiiiisirauuii and operation. Matters more intimately anecting the staff, However, were reserved for later reference and they throw a good deal of suggestive light upon the advantages of independent control.

“The references made here”, the paragraph runs, 11 will be mainly along the lines oi: n review of the position as the relsult of the active participation iii the mnnagnK'iit of the Department by the Ministerial head, It has been definitely .stated in evidence before the Commision that the financial operations of the Department and the general efficiency of the staff is ndversly affected by the present method of administration. By this is meant tha. the full measure of efficient service cannot be obtained from the staff, which numbers approximately 20,000, when tho responsible officers have, to all intents and purposes, pq effeqti, control. TJnnder the present system of administration, • with the Ministerial head actively engaged jn the management, it is imperative that all staff matters should be centralized at head office, aii(| the Minister, dealing in ninny cases with staff questions more from the viewpoint of policy than o.‘ efficiency, may he required to make decisions which cannot be considered sound and prudent when those decisions are viewed in the light of the economical working of the railways; Several instances, extending over a period o! many years have been brought under notice of the Commission where substantial savings could have been effected by a reduction in the staff, but those reductions were not made by reason of the fact that they were not sanctioned by the Minister. In other ca.ses, where certain tradesmen were required to undertake special work, the system of central control caused a period of some months to elapse /before the full number required were engaged. whereas the position could have been filled in, say, one week, had tho officer responsible for the work authority to engage the men without protracted correspondence with the Head Office. It is apparent to us that the Minister, ns head of the Department must be continually occupied with petty matters affecting the staff, which under the present system, are brought under his notice, but which in oopinion should he dealt with by the responsible officers without reference to the Minister,”

Wjth the Government of the couni ry engaged in the administration and management of the railways, the Commission goes ion to say, it is not possible to achieve the best results, and in order to formulate proposals with a view to relieving the Minister of bis .present responsibilities your Commission has considered the method of control adopted in other countries. Tn practically every country in the world it has been shown that the best result is not obtained through an intimate control as between the management and the Government. The position ithe Dominion calls for drastic and immediate action, and the transfer of management to persons not subject to political influence,

The endeavour to effect a joint control of the railways is unfair both to the ministerial bead and to the man. agement, and it is submitted that- the further the functions of Government of the country and the control of the railways can lie senarated the better will be the result of the railway operations,