The Railways

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 4 September 1914, Page 4

The Railways

GENERAL MANAGER'S REPORT. THREE AND A-QUARTBK .MILLIOX.S ASKED TO. BUSINESS HAS OUTGROWN' THE SERVICE. ONLY lIALFAN-lIOUR SAVED BY TARANAKI EXPRESii. MORE ENXiINES AM) ROLLiiNG- 1 STOCK WANTED. | j TOO MAW UNCOMPLETED LINES. | Per i'rens Asociation. I Wellington, Last Night. ' The report on the railways of the Dominion by Mr E. It. Wiley,' the new I General .Manager, was laid on the tabic of the House to-night. The General Manager states that the conclusion he has arrived at, after reviewing the whole position, is that the system lias outgrown the preeeat organisation. The rapid growth of the system and the expansion of busincoA had rendered the machinery for traffic control unequal to the demands put upon ■it by existing circumstances. The staff requires to be strengthened, and the staff arrangements remodelled, particularly in the traffic branches. The Department is short of engine-power and rolling-stock for dealing promptly with business now offering. Terminal accommodation. is inadequate, and a forward policy is necessary in regard to the duplication of congested suburban lines, re-grading main lines and bridgestrengthening, and additional signalling equipment, if the traffic is to be io£ tored and handled economically, safclv, and expeditiously. ■ , Amongst the recommendatiois made are the appointment of an assistantgeneral manager, assistant traffic managers, and assistant district traffic managers in Auckland, Wellington, Christchureih, and Dunedin; the appointment of a commercial agent to develop new revenue-producing business is strongly urged. ■ In order to mako up the deficiency in haulage power, the importation of 2(1 engines is recommended,/10 to be of the Garrett type and ten of the elass A type. A considerable number of new wagons is'being built, also a new-type of carriage, which can he used for freight o* passengers l as circumstances require. The new time-table will shorten the journey between Auckland and Wellington by one hour and twenty-five minutes, between (Wellington and Napier by 65 minutes; between Wellington and New Plymouth by 30 minutes. The South Island time-table is practical!r unaltered.

Level crossing alarms will be installed, at mi approximate cost of £22,500. Experiments arc to be made with a view of installing electric light in trains, An extensive scheme of grade casements is 'proposed,, at a cost of '£i>o;ooo.. .The total proposals will-involve an expenditure of .(.'3,250,000, spread over five years. In conclusion, Mr Hiley states thai his .report was drafted bef,.re the outbreak of war, but had not been altered, us the necessities had not been removed but rather intensified by abnormal conditions now prevailing." (Mr Riley proposes that, tho railway loan be expended in the following ratio': First year, £4:U,200; second, £«3ft,200; third, £068,201); fourth, £tiftfl,aoo: fifth', £399,200.

Amongst alienations for new stations are:—Palmcrston North, ,€40,000; Hastings, £4o,Oftl); Timaru, £40,000. Grade

casements, Palmerston' aljd Marton, £50,000: duplication of Lvttelton tunnel, 123:000. On the subject, of tile education 'of the

stafl to qualify for the higher branches ©1 the service, MnHiley says the Dotninion is far behind other countries, due to laek of competition with a view of improving the position. In this respect lie recommends tlint each year two candidates from the locomotive and eivil engineering, branches, respectively, be given a two years' engineering course at Canterbury College, the Bepiu-timent paying them full salaries ami defraying the college fees and the cost naich-sary hooks.

The report states that the permanent way bridges and other structures connected therewith are in excellent condition, and give practical evidence of the care and attention bestowed on the upkeep. Tlie cost of maintenance, pel 1 mile is high, bur his inspection of the track shows that the money lias been wisely spent. The replacement of wooden bridges with iron and steel structures. and rebuilding others in ironbavk timber, .lias been beneficial, but .before the best results can be obtained from the expenditure incurred it will be necessary: to still further strengthen some of the bridges to enable them to carry the heaviest type of locomotive ia use, so that the maximum tractive force available can be utilised. All item of £">0.1)00 lias been included in the loan asked for in order to accelerate tin- strengthening of bridges.

On tlie subject oT the construction of new railways, (lie report proceeds:—"{ believe I am correct in stating that fliers are over twenty new railways in course of construction at the present time. 1 submit that this, is not an economical method of procedure. It must be, obvious thai if the work of construction wen' concentrated upon, say, five of these railways, the cost of supervision would be lower, and the speed at which the railways would be finished and become traffic-bearing and revenue-earn-ing would hp at least four tunes as rapid. Over twenty uncompleted and uiireniuneratiTC railways lire a serious handicap to a comparatively small undertaking. Jhe Working Railways Department is vitally interested in economical construction, because the expenditure ultimately becomes a portion of the capital upon which interest lias to be earned," PRAISE FOE PREDECESSORS.

Concluding, Mr. Hiley says:—"lt is not my wish that any portion of this report be misinterpreted into direct or indirect criticism, of the administration of my predecessors. Nothing is farther from my desire and intention. Ia fact, I am glad to have this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the good work of those who have preceded mini building up so well the present railway system of New Zealand. During my inspection of the railways, I have found ample evidence of the great care, forethought, and ingenuity that has been expended in the past in evolving such a complete system of communication in a comparatively undeveloped and sparsely populated sountrv. There are. many instances where it is evident that my precedessor and his assistants in various departments were anxious to adopt improvements, fully realizing their value, but were precluded from doing so. owing to the foot that the funds available were more urgently required for immediate necessities. The fact that .Mali

Trunk was not completed, has now to tV included, withiu the category of necom «wy tqiupment and organisation only furuier evidence ol tto evolution of '-■. ii . Maun ii-onv ilia fctCiUU tramway stagci. to that of an actual main trunk system, with every probab- ' ility of rapid development in the neat future. It is too much to expect the railway** °f Zealand, with th^x'S limitations m gauge, and receipts per mile, will bo alms to meet every demand, made upon- tueir resources, but.. I aia : | bopefui, athe ivcoiimMMiaUoiii* oontuul|Cd in this «pi.fi are adopted, that, as ' , e country tj'iVi-lops, 'every department- | will be able io assist in its advancement | and lie in a position to offer its clients " reasonable transport facilities for business and pleasure/ "

DISCUSSED ]'N PARI.T.A'MKXT. * Wellington, Last Night, 111 reply to btr .Joseph. Ward, Uie I remier said tiiat an opportunity would be gt\en to ilie House to didcuss th© repott ot t'he new General .manager ofRailways when the Hallway ilitSttateM 1?!; wcro "before Parliament. Jiiter tfiera would 'be a. Loan Bit'., and if tuat was : "-e not suilicient,, he. wasi .prepared' ,to devote u whole day to its d|buuasion. In i-eplj tu Air, liusscli, lfun. said the (iovennmoit wa.s uot committed to all the proposals contained i«, the ruport. &ucli portions im were approved would be dealt with in Biffs later on.

In reply to Mr, Miyars, the Premier tho report iliad been drafted; before the outbreak of war, and had to bp i read, in that 'light.'.' ' ' - J v '?v : The Opposition '.eader again referred • •t» tfle report when speaking on a motion to go into eominittec of supply ui». 'the General Estimates. Sir iP? Ward expressed his sympathy wiUh'Mie Minister of 'Railways in his present mdisposition, but, in justice to himself, tit drew attention to ".the! .fact 'Mutt port proposed to- expend a sum, <-f • £4OO,O<JO on railway stations at Wellington and Ghristohiurch. lie 'asked th« (party supporting such proposals to' ' p remember the criticism they' had levelled against him in connection with th* ■Dunedin railway station and yjud. Xh» spending of over £3,000,000 on wordingmil ways wass fi-reahadowcd out of loan. Mr. PayiK- condemned the proposal'to import twenty ongints. iill feed the loan proposals as rank ptyiti- , eal dishonesty. ■ .-. \:.ip!JV In the course of his reply, the Prim* Minister- said the report of the Manager of Railways justified life appointniient. As it matter of fact, th# • country* ■ progress was its rolling slot!,. He justified the -purchases of engines abroad, because they could not be produced in tho country within the necessary time. He was of opinion that they could not go on- with the programme proposed this it would certainly have to Ibe carried out later on. "

Mr. IJanan «aiil there was nothing very new in. the report. With Teg&Td to the education of the railway staff, he suggested! that the men enwmniiged to, .attend: ■!eehnica! schools. It was all very well to "talk about tiie q employment- of men to: make 1 ibusinesßj for tiie railways, but the trouble in;tiv4f 5 past, had been' the inability of tli? railway to cope with the 'business offering. j