THE RAILWAYS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10294, 31 May 1919, Page 8

THE RAILWAYS

MR HILEY FAREWSLIED AN ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERING. NECESSITY* FOR RAILWAY EXPANSION. A farewell "smoker* 5 in honour of Nlr R. 11. Hiley. lato General Manager of j iu> New Zealand Railways* prior to his .a-part-uro for Great Britain, was lielo. at. tiio Raiiwav Onices iast night. There ,v«s a large attendance and tiie guests imuudea tiio Actintr Prime Minister (bu james Allen), tue Hons. A. M. itinera, ,V. D. S. MacDonald. \V. H. Herries, ana o*r Uiliuau Eraser. 'lho cliuir was oc..u;ueu i>v Mr Iv. VV. .ue V iiiy, tue pie*enc Uenera*. Mauuuur. Tne pTUcxeuwere til a moot ugreeaOie auu uuiiiiouious naiuie. Amingomexus weiv jarue.u out bv a comm. Lice oi management ox which Mr il. J. was lue .mamuun- Tue artists contributing -.uasicax and oiuer iutcriuues N\cie Mvssrs >«ormau rvukeu, G.upnam, Montague ouMore, VV r iUiaco. iiunion. iviuier, ivoade, *,asiuuore. and McxMerson. Mr Vv. Ir.

tteuiue acted as accompanist. Tiio chairman iu proposing the health af tne guest remarked mat it gave him areat pleasure to see such a representative garnering on the occasion to ( pay respect to tno aetinnsr xa.ilway ciuei. Since his appointment Mr liiiey had guided the affairs of tuo aepartiuent tor avd and a hai: years in a tuoroughxv

successful fashion in face of many obstacles. The war had presented fresh dimculiies. but he had retained a thoiough hold of all airs to the end ami, a ith every satisfaction to the -Government of the country. Ho had been regarded as n chiet of ability and kindness of heart and it was generally conceded that he had dune much lor the staff. (Applause.) He had not been discouraged bv adverse and even malignant criticism. He had set before him a high ideal and had lived up to it. (Applause.) As one who had come in dailycontact with Hr Milev. Mr AloVilly said he must regard Air Hiley’s departure as a loss to the service _ He had always been a kind and considerate chief, and actuated bv a sincere desire for the welfare of the service. (Applause.) The Minister for Kail ways (Air Heines) was afterwards asked to make a presentation of three albums of New Zealand views and a writing cabinet made of New Zealand timber to Air Hilev with an appreciative address. Air Herries said that Air Hiley had come as a stranger to New Zealand he had secured the goodwill of the railway staff. No one could have rubbed shoulders with him without feeling the better for it. (Applause.) He had done an enormous amount in promoting good-fellowship within the department. He had proved himself a thoroughly competent manager and to one could have done better in facing all problems, including those 'which had arisen during the war. He and Airs Hiley would leave New Zealand with the best of good wishes and a general hone that in the not distant future they would again visit these shores. (Applause.) ■LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.

Mr Hiley, on rising to respond, was received most enthusiastically, and greeted with the strains of ‘‘For he’s a jolly good fellow.’’ Ha said ho keenly appreciated the honour done him by tne gathering which, had.come as a surprise. He noticed that there were railway men from ail- warts present. It was a source of great satisfaction that at the end oi his term of office he could meet em--ployees in such a social fashion. He had always been -at one wun mo stun in endeavouring to secure the advancement and improvement of the railway service. (Applause.) He had appreciated the loyalty shown to the management. Thev could not have thjis met that evening without mutual respect. (Applause.) During a period of extraordinary difficulty the staff as a whole was entitled to credit for carrying on the transport business of the Dominion without interruption. Inconvenience had been occasioned bv the curtailment ot nasseuger trains, but the public realised the necessity for the restrictions which had been made on account of the war. (Applause.) The department, as the largest employer of labour in the Dominion, hud been called upon to show an' example in sending men to the front and not one single fit man had been kept back. Married men had followed, and ultimately 7000 man. representing 40 per cent, of the trained stuff, had seen military service. In spite of the depleted staff the trade; of the country had been carried on with an efficiency that had not prejudiced that trade. NEED FOB EXPANSION.

Now that normal times were approaching there must be some expansion. He must emphasise the ' necessity for a vigorous and forward policy in regard to railway improvements. In 1911 a policy had been put forward for essential improvements. Practicaliy it had remained untouched. At any rate it had not been completed to such an extent as to be of practical value. Tho programme included improvements ot termini, regrading, increased accommodation at the Workshops and their modernisation.' : It was only a "preliminary programme, but the -war had intervened. Since the war tho country had been thinking in millions instead of hundreds, but the modest three and a quarter millions of expenditure on railways had not been accomplished. Five years of valuable time had been unavoidably lost, but now was the time for. a rapid expansion if New Zealand was not to be undesirably retarded. Money must be spent on tho railways, or the General Manager would inevitably bo doomed to the criticism which could so easily bo made. He would bo made a whippingboy for the Government of the time being. He . must get immediate assistance or ho could not bo held responsible. He could not make bricks without straw. SUBURBAN LINES.

An instance of the necessity for regrading was tho Johnsonvillc line, and the suburban lines must txj duplicated to separate the main long-distance trallic. The suburban lines might also bo electrified. Tho Rimutaka deviation was an absolute anachronism. Tho incline of one in fourteen was absurd, and ho would impress on the Government the necessity of having surveys of alternative route's seriously considered without delay, with a view to immediate action. The do ficiency in rolling stock must be remedied or tho railway department would bo blamed for not providing sufficient facilities. A scheme of bridge strengthening must also be gone into. There must bo bridges to carry. .mofdWrry engines and heavier trains. The personnel of the staff Ot the department was thoroughly satisfactory and perfectly. competent to carry ouu • their _ duties if adequate material He had discussed with Mi- MoVjlly the question of tho staff getting facilities foi a more general knowledge of railway operations. As a result U was the intention of Mr McVilly to lenommcnd the selection of some of tho younger men of the staff who had proved „ c f apa ?' t y t 0 »tudy the higher probInins of railwa> working in more den<?*?v noon ated countries L,“ ™he fMV Hileyj was concerned, if ho covltl be of any service in this connection in Eng•and he would he only 100 happy to ,e ?f d * r r? n n h V ald h co . ukL (Appfiw,, Mr R“ z i on R h \ et ,.£* mc manager) th# toast of “The Parlum.nl of New Zealand,’ treating hU th,ma In a S9in«wn&t numoroui Ttm. MINISTERIAL SPEECHES.

Sir Jiuna* Alien responded to the toast, boinjT greeted enthusiastically with imifdcfil honours. Up said Parliament had been in rather a union,’ position in not havimr an election recently, but there was one comiruj shortly. ilany

Mings had to he abandoned besides railway improvements in order to help tn win the war. (Applause.) The peoph of New Zealand, out of justieo and free dom, had supported Parliament admirably during the progress of tno war. Whatever Government now succeeded would have some big problems to face, aud t the main thing wouuj ha to ivtuin steadfast and earnest men who could bo relied upon to do the right thing after duo deliberation. bo lar as Colonel Hiley was concerned, his selection as General Manager ‘of railways had been a good one. ills work in a military connection had been most valuable; so had that of several members of the railway staff. As Minister for Defence he desired to express his gratitude to those of the stall who had volunteered for the front. Equally he recognised the great value of what had'been dune by those who had remained behind to see to the export of cjie products of the Dominion. Going through the war we had piled up heavy responsibilities which could only be me' h.v increased production and extra work xrom the railways \wiuu bo required. He wished Mr McViily and his staff every success in the future management ot the railways, and Mr Hiley had hi* verv best wishes. (Applause?)’ The Hon. \V. D. S. MacDonald also responded. He remarked that there would soon be an election, and all that he hoped was that the new Parliament would be composed of strong virile men whose word coiud be taken and whose conduct would be without reproach or suspicion—men who would be missionaries of Empire. It was to bo hoped that the railways would be adequately equipped for future requirements. One thing that xnusi be- borne in mnul wn» that the Pucihc routes must be kept clear, so that the value oi the special mission of the leaders of the Government to the Old World must bo readily recognised. He expressed his appreciation of the services rendered by Mr iriDey, and alluded to the noble sacrifices that had been made by the fathers and mothers of New Zealand to win the war. (Applause.) Mr F. W. Mac Lean (Chief Engineer of Railways) proposed the toast of the Minister for Railways. Mr Herries, ho said, had endeared himself to every member of the railway staff. It had to b© recognised that in dealing with tile many points put before him He was hemmed in by ah sorts of considerations

The Hon. AV. H. Herries, replying, said he delighted in being a railwayman. but he tound that he had to cultivate a thick skin. The complaints which he had to deal witu were colossal ■and must mysterious, on one occasion two bottles of whisky had gone to the lost luggage office on Christmas Day and never been accounted for. (Laughter.) There was no question that the lot of the Minister for Railways did not represent "b»er and. skittles.' Speaking seriously, he could give the assurance that the 1911 railway programme would have been proceeded with but for the war. 'The Government was ready to carry out the. programme as soon as the material and labour were available. So far as the latter was concerned, the services of returned soldiers would be especially acceptable. So far as the present Government was concerned, he honestly boueved that ail the Alinisters had done their best, and he felt that he personally had done hts duty to the people of New Zealand. (Applause.) The toast of "Railway Members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces” was proposed by Mr J. Macdonald (AssistantGeneral Manager), and responded to by Major W. G. Wray, M.C. The other toasts included “The Staff of the New Zealand Railways” (proposed by the Hon. W. H. Herries, and responded to by Messrs Young, president of the E. 0.1.; Hampton, president of the A-S.R.S.; and Henderson, president of the E.E.C.A.); “The Retired with Honours last" (proposed by Mr E. E. Gillon, and replied to by Mr J. Burnett); and “District Officers” (proposed by Mr C. A. Piper, and responded to by Alessrs D. T. Alclntosh, A. Duncan, and G. E. Richardson).