RAILWAY CONTROL.

Shannon News, 2 December 1921, Page 3

RAILWAY CONTROL.

A NON-POLITICAL BOARD.

A remit, several hundred words long, was brought forward by the Canterbury Chamber at the Dominion conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, advocating the appointment of a non-political board, responsible to the Government and Parliament, "for the construction and control of the railways, the board to include representatives of the Government, Parliament, commercial and manufacturing interests, the farming community, labour, and the railway gmployees. Mr H. J. Marriner, in moving the remit, said that a similar proposal had been brought up and endorsed by previous conferences. The whole railway system was "rotten to the core as a commercial undertaking," and the time had arrived when it should be brought under the control of commercial men.

Mr J. B. Waters (Dunedin) did not "agree with Mr Marriner that the conference had always agreed with the proposal. He questioned if even the general managers deplorable confession that the service" was making a daily loss of £4700 would convince the Government that it ought to give up political control of the railways, together with the right of patronage so dear to politicians. He moved, as an amendment, the reaffirmaton c.t the following remit, passed by 'he conference in November last:—"That, in order to eliminate political influence and promote greater efficiency and economy, all railways in course of construction, and in prospect, he taken over by the Railway Department; and that this conference affirm the principle of non-political control."

Mr C. H. Young (Wellington) seconded the amendment. It was hrrdly fair, he said, to blame the Railway Department. The railways wore a public service, and had oean carried on difficulties for tn? convenience of trie public. Mr Marriner said that he was pre pared to accept Mr Water's amendment. The object of the p'oposal »va.« simply to get the railways nut of ihc hands of politicians, and to ensure that they be run in the ink-rests cf the public. Mr Holms (Levin) diroctc/i attention to the fact that ud till this year the New Zealand railways showed a higher percentage of revenue per mile than any other system in Australasia. It had to be remembered, also, that our railways were supposed to be run for the service of the State and not merely profit. The nett revenue from South Island lines—mostly political branch lines—only amounted in 1920 to £3OOO per mile as against £9OOO in the case of the North Island. The considered opinion of the Levin Chamber was that a small Advisory Board would best meet the case for improvements as to meeting motor transport competition and bringing into operation profitable economy. The amendment, becoming the motion, was carried.