The Guardian And Evening Star, with winch is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, April, 17, 1931. RAILWAY CONTROL.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with winch is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, April, 17, 1931. RAILWAY CONTROL.

Ink Railways Act Amendment Bill, iiitrodm cd oy tlie Prime Minister on Alonuay. is a measure oi such viL.,I importance Hint lime must he allowed loi careful a..a lysis. 'J lie liiianci.il position of the service is such, that it constitutes a heavy burden on the ( on--oiKtateJ !• ui:it, the cliiu.it in 1030-31 .icing estimated at L 1.300,000. It um lie easily understood that the Government is anxious lo adopt, a new order which, by placing the railways on a commercial basin, may drastically reiltue, and ultimately banish what is ~uw n crushiiig burden: Discussion ol the Subsidiary financial proposals ol the Bill, such as the basis ol the additional .02,300,000 which it is proposed to wipe off the capital accounts, considers ilre Christchurch 'l imes, may well he postponed, This sum presumably represents money originally provided nut of revenue, and in that case it can he written off, but borrowings can, not be treated in the same way. Sir

Joseph Ward made that difference quite clear when ho secured the writing off of L 8.100.000 a few years ago. These and other aspects are of importnine but the matter of control transcends them all. The Bill appears to bo an. attempt lo follow a middle course Let,ween control by an individual and control by a board, for then’ is no intention to follow the Belgian plan and hand the service over to private control for a term of years. The authority will lie, of course, with the chairman of the hoard, and success or failure will depend almost solely cm his qualifications and administrative capacity. That being so the salary offered does not seem likely to attract a man of experience in transport problems. ami the idea of part-time directors, appointed for a short term, may not be practicable. If the intention is to provide the chairman with advisers acquainted with Dominion conditions the appointment of a hoard of directors, meeting, say. fortnightly, might be more effective in the long run. Those are aspects which suggest ihems'olv-es at once, but the change of control of the railways, the basis Of our transport services, is not a matter which can he authorised without the most careful consideration. The interests involved are too numerous and too important to warrant any hasty decision and it would he ns well, now that the Government has brought down its plans, if the Bill were held over until the regular session of Parliament. The time intervening would permit of every point being studied and probable •.•onstreetive suggestions would be advanced.