RAILWAY MANAGEMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 375, 28 April 1910, Page 2

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT

the commissioner system. HON. J. MILLAII INTERVIEWED IN WELLINGTON. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Wednesday. Tlie Hon. J. A. Millar returned tlus morning by the Moana from Australia, lie was accompanied by Mr. McVilly, chief clerk of the New Zealand Hallways. During his absence Mr. Millar travelled 0300 miles, an average of 200 miles per day, excluding Sundays. To a Post reporter he said one of the principal objects of his trip was to ascertain lio\v the commissioner system of control worked in Australia. He found the Minister had little actual work to do ill the details of the administration. Mr. Millar discussed 'methods of working, also traffic and ways of dealing with capital accounts with the commissioners in several States. He found tliat constant complaints, of a similar kind to those made in New Zealand with regard to shortage of trucks, freight and time-tables, were equally strong in Australia. Almost every day articles appeared in the press there criticising the management. Jt was freely admitted ip New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia that the harvest is so great that the rolling stock is quite insufficient to cope with the requirements in a speedy manner. He inquired closely into the question of fares and wages. The wages paid on the whole were not so high as those paid in New Zealand, nor were the conditions of employment so good. The information on which this conclusion was based was obtained from the commissioners. Railway experts whom he met had expressed surprise at the ■high speed maintained on the narrow gauge railways in this country. Careful comparison of the times taken by the Melbourne-Adelaide express and the 'Wellington-Auckland express showed tliat, notwithstanding that the gauge was 3ft. fiin. here as against sft. 3in. in the other case, the trains maintained an almost equal speed. Suburban services out- of Melbourne and Sydney were handled most expeditiously. Tramway services were of great assistance in dealing with this traffic. Sydney had 1040 cars on the road last year. The Sydney trams returned 6, per cent, on tin- capital outlay. Mr. Millar got an independent opmion from Mr. Fehon, late railway commissioner in New South Wales, who visited New Zealand frequently. Mr. Millar discussed the principles on which railways were worked here, and asked Mr. Fehon if he could suggest any improvements. His reply was that, from flis experience, the New Zealand railways were very satisfactorily run. Mr. Fehon spent nearly all his life as a railway man.

After his investigations in; Australia Mr. Millar said the cry for a second express between Auckland and Wellington appeared more unreasonable than ever. One express per day was sufficient .between Sydney and Melbourne, two towns having a population of over a million.