RAILWAY REORGANISATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 15, 19 January 1915, Page 7

RAILWAY REORGANISATION.

LESSENING OF CENTRALISATION.

THE NEW BUSINESS POLICY.

The appointments announced by the Railway Department' will go a long 1 way towards carrying out the new General Manager’s proposals, though, they do not involve any expenditure out of loan money (.writes a 'Wellington correspondent). Four new positions of assistant district traffic manager have been created in addition to that of the commercial agent. Ihe effect of strengthening the traffic management in Auckland, Chiistchuroh, Dunedin, and Wellington will be to lessen tbe centralisation, which has grown to such a pitch as to cause serious delay in administration, all important matters having to be referred to Wellington. In future they will be settled on the spot. luese proposals apply solely to the Department’s business with the public. The Commercial -Agents duty, ns outlined by the General Manager, will .he to act as the sympathetic advocate of the public at any departmental consideration of revised train services, questions of rating improve- * ment, or increase of rolling stock, or any other means by which in his opinion new traffic can be created. Mr Hiley looks upon the railways as a 1 big business, with a capital of thirtytwo millions, and considers that everything should he done to increase the ■ turnover. The ordinary railway officer pursuing an ideal of economical working may not he enterprising in j developing new services of revenue, I but the Commercial Agent, whose . business it will be to keep in close I touch with the public demands, will prevent new traffic from being stifled before it is encouraged to the paying ’ point.