THE RAILWAY AUTOCRATS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1823, 7 May 1918, Page 4

THE RAILWAY AUTOCRATS.

(Manawatu, Times.) There was a time when the people of New Zealand owned the railways. Not now! The New Zealand Railways are now run by an autocracy. This autocracy imposes its will upon the people with a complete disregard of consequences. For example, when it was being urged that the people should take control of the Foxton wharf a railway autocrat quite candidly stated that the experiment would be an expensive one for thosq concerned, and his words are proving true. The charges have been jumped up in an extraordinary manner for handling freight at that port, and, now a new device, tho “sorting feed is being imposed in a manner calculated to make those concerned feel very indignant indeed. But Foxton is not, it .seems, singular in this respect. This sorting charge is to be levied against all coastal ports with the intent of either making importers pay through the nose, or in the alternative divert theih traffic to the railways. Tho importers do not intend to carry tho baby. They will pass the infant to Henry Dubb, the local consumer; and the cost of living will take another leap skywards. It is said that our £3,000 a year general manager is not responsible for this policy. It is the device of subordinates below stairs. Anyhow, there it is; the imposition is there, and apparently it has come to reside, and it may be added to, with interest, at any moment. No relief is to be expected from our members of Parliament. Those of them who are not in the bag are either fast asleep or stricken dumb. The Chambers of Commerce are striving manfully with the problem, but they are sadly hampered by . public apathy, which is amazing. The process is one of beggar-my-neighbour. The . Railway Department is losing money, and its device for overcoming that dilemma is to cut down public facilities and increase its impositions on the travelling public and its Trading clients. The importers pay the charges with shrugged shoulders, and then pass them on to the democracy, and the democracy shoulders the burden as best it can. There is only one consolation—-the process cannot go on indefinitely. The breaking point must be pretty close at hand. '