ROAD AND RAIL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 468, 25 September 1928, Page 15

ROAD AND RAIL

MR. COATES COMPARES COSTS - COUNTRY’S ESSENTIAL NEEDS (From Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Monday. The day of the railway has not gone, said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, addressing members of the Railway Officers’ Institute. Figures showed that the cost of road haulage was greater a ton mile than on the railways. Mr. Coates said he believed it would be a good policy to send men abroad for experience. He would like to see young men going abroad, not only from the Railway Officers’ Institute, but from the Enginedrivers, Firemen and Cleaners’ Association, the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, and the tradesmen, to be given a year’s experience with a railway company. This might be made the reward of good service.

Some very important changes had been made in the service and the change in accounting had been one of the most important. Mr. Coates believed that this was essential. Now they would make comparisons with the most up-to-date railway systems in the world. The new method of accounting gave a clear line of check up with other systems.

Last year the railways had earned 2.41 d a ton mile, and were down £291,000. If they had increased ■these earnings to 3d a ton mile they would have brought in another £ 1,000,000. They had also ascertained the cost a ton mile by road was not less than Is, and was much nearer Is 6d. It did not require vej;y much thinking to show that they must have an increased yield a ton mile on the railways or a much more expensive method of transportation by road. Once they had reached the conclusion that the railways were essential to the community they would also see that it was essential that they should be kept up to date in track, grade easements, and rolling stock, which should be a credit to the country. The department had had no alternative but to go into the bus business. Another feature he felt would make for good was the policy of decentralisation.