The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1918. OUR RAILWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1918. OUR RAILWAYS.

Notwithstanding the restricted i services, the Railway Depa. ment's earnings for the" past financial year were only a little over a hundred thousand pounds less than during tlie previous year, whilst the net revenue was £l,644,793, as against £1,873,946 for the previous year. This is equal 11 4.60 per cent, on the capital in vested in tlie lines open for traffic and 4.24 per cent, on the opened and unopened lines. Considering the war conditions obtaining, and the cutting out of the profitable excursion services, etc., the results are very gratifying, and testify to the prosperity and soundness of the Dominion. Probably few countries can exhibit such a record in a time of war. The results only show what the railways are capable of earning, and the importance of the part they may piay in the development of the practically untouched resources of the country if a broad, comprehensive, national policy were inaugurated and undertaken. No one can claim that the railways administration has yet risen to its opportunities or shown a desire to anticipate the requirements of the country. Prom experience one kj'ows only too well that the administration shows a singular lack of enterprise, and that any move to facilitate commerce and rural or- industrial development seldom has the sympathy of the railway heads if it entails any departure from the ordinary programme. On tlie contrary, it almost invariably meets with their disapproval and opposition to such an extent that the public have grown tired of making proposals for the improvement of commercial and industrial transit conditions. In Taranaki, the train services are to-day no better than they were twenty-five years ago, notwithstanding the enormous development of the province since and the progressive spirit of the people. It would be a tremendous advantage to the Dominion if there were an infusion of new blood in the department with a knowledge of the country's commercial and industrial requirements, and possessing enterprise, courage and vision. Then the railways would become a vastly greater power in the Dominion, and a source of greaterprofit than they are to-day, not that profit is the chief desideratum in the running of the railways, for the development of the country should be the main object. At present the railways pay greater regard to the wishes of the cities and suburbs—where the heavy voting is, and, consequently, where the greatest political pressure obtains, the country districts that provide the substance upon which the cities live and the country pays its way, being a secondary consideration. This policy must be altered. The country is now saddled with a heavy war debt, ai'd the only way to meet it is by producing more—there is no alternative. We must pay immediate attention to accelerating construction of lines, opening up new country or partly developed country now hampered by poor—or an utter lack of—transport facilities. Members of the Cabinet know, for instance, of the potentialities of Taranaki's hinterland, yet for years past the work of construction of the Main Trunk line has been proceeding at a snail's pace. I ! ; is, without doubt, the most important new railway work ill the Dominion to-day, yet it is neglected, and the energy and money of the Public Works Department dissipated upon the construction of numerous small lines, the duplication of suburban lines, the erection of palatial railway stations, and the like. What we need is a sound national policy of railway construction. Experts and outside business men should be called together and allowed to decide the works to be undertaken and tlie order of their precedence, and to this plan the Public Works Department should work without any political which has been the bane of the country for so many years. If tlie question of construction is approached and dealt with from a national point of view, and the Railway Department conforms to the needs of the country and the requirements of the public, co-operating with the latter instead of showing hostility on every occasion it asks for anything, the development of our great resources will be accelerated, the interests of the people advanced, and profits further increased.

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Some of tlie cows around Manaia (says the Witness) seem to have contracted a disease similar to influenza.

In consequence of the influenza epidemic the ordinary monthly meeting of the Taranaki County Council, which phould be held to-day, has been postponed until Tuesday, December 10, .

Sir Joseph Ward said it would not be possible after the war to have a «ystem of compulsory lending to the (natc. Anybody who suggested such a kc!i erne would have a very" limited sense of fairness.

l.iiige quantities of butter were railed south from 2ve\v Plymouth on Saturday. I'.artt of three trains carried large consignments, tlie 11.50 a.m. having something like MOO boxes in vans." These u-ere being- shipped to a Home liner in \ellington. The extra loads made the trains a bit late at some of the stations down the liije. Settlers and others who travel over Mount Messenger will be delighted to hear that provision for metalling Mount Messenger has been provided on this year's estimates, and tUie Minister of Public Works has informed Mr. YV. T. Jennings, M.P., that he intends to push this work forward.

Travellers between Kew Plymouth and Wellington, who ha.ve had 'to provide their own commissariat for the past three weeks, owing to the staffs being down wit/It influenza, will bo glad to hear that the Aramoho and Marton dining-rooms are again open. A compulsory fast was imposed on travellers who were not aware of the closing, and some had to "reef in" their belts, as both dining-rooms and licensed houses were closed.

Mi*. \\. T. Jennings, M.P., came up from Wellington on Saturday. Owing to the Estimates going through anil the Financial Debate being over, ho is of opinion that the House will finish its business by Saturday next. Two important matters, repatriation and hydro-electric power, have been threshed out, and the Puflic Works and Supplementary Estimates, the next important matters, will go through in one sitting.

Reporting upon the revelations brought about in Auckland by the epidemic, the Mayor (Mr. Gunson), at the City Council meeting on Thursday evening, stated it the principal factor in the many deplorable conditions was found in" the regrettable ignorance of many individuals and the total lack of an ordinary conception of personal responsibility in the home and tlie proper carc and treatment of children. Much of the extreme poverty and poorness of the homes was due iu part to the expenditure of workmen's wages upon drink, and the consequent neglect of home.

There was a more 1 business-like atmosphere in New Plymouth on Saturday than has been evident since prior to the "peace" celebrations. Between ttie shops that were open for trade in provision stuffs and those that were conducting business in a,-more or less semi-private manner, there must have been a considerable turnover, and there were many comments to the effect that the town might as well have been opened up. There were some satisfactory features about the business that was done, firstly, in the observance of the queue system of shopping, the pickets stationed at the various shops preventing any crowding within t'he premises; and secondly, that while there appeared a good proportion of country people in town, they did not remain any length of time, but returned homewards as soon as they had completed their necessary purchases.

A suggestion was made to tbe Post-master-General on Friday that he might with advantage, when purchasing a steamer to replace the Tutanekai, buy a steamer with some cargo space, which might be used for the carriage of coal from the West Coast ports. Sir Joseph Ward said that it was the intention of the Government to sell both the Hinemoa and the Tutanekai as opportunity offered, and to buy another larger steamer when times were normal. It would no longer'be necessary fur the Government to have a cable repair steamer, because the work could be done more cheaply by engaging the Pacific . Cable Bnard'9 steamer for it- It *as hoped that the new steamer would be able to do the lighthouse service, and that it would also he useful for the carriage of railway material between the two islands, and perhaps for the carriage of coal.

Some new ideas about the delivery or carriage of mails by aeroplane were given to the House on Friday by Sir Joseph Ward. When he returned from the Home Country he had a little to say about the carriage of long-distance mails by aeroplane. On this occasion he said that in his opinion the aeroplane could be used freely with great advantage for the carriage of inland mails in those most inaccessible and remote parts of the country. When' it was possible to use the aeroplane for this work.it would be possible to improve very much the postal facilities afforded to remote settlers. Sir Joseph said that he had had a long interview on the subject with the representatives of the Auckland Flying School, and from the information he had obtained lie was satisfied that the aeroplane could be used with advantage, and with no extra cost, for the rapid and regular delivery of backbloclc mails.— Our Correspondent. A couple of good-hearted "townies," who went out into the country to milk a settler's cows a day or two ago, decided that it would be a "good stunt" to each take home a bottle of cream, so they made a request for some, and were told to help themselves. Olio of the "townies" had some experience of dairy work, and whilst he was busy washing up the buckets, etc., after the cows had been milked, be requested his mate to hunt up a couple of jam-jars for the cream. "And look Hut. old chap, you won't get any cream oil' this morning's milk yet, so you will need to get it out of the cans containing last night's milk." The jars were soon found, and, the experienced. worker being still busy, the other one hurried off, soon ladled tbe jars full to the brim, and screwed on the stoppers. Then they set out for home. Along the road the chap who knew thought he had better have a look to see that the. cream was carrying all right. Upon investigation, he noticed the "cream" appeared to be unusually pale in color, and, opening one of the jars, found that it contained pure froth! His inexperienced mate had filled tbe jars from that morning's milk-cans, and had mistaken for cream the froth that always accumulates on milk as it is drawn from the cows! The remarks along the next half-mile of road are unfit for publication.

The Minister for Railways stated in the House on Friday that at the end of the financial year the General Manager of Railways would bo retiring, and that he would not be re-appointed. It was Mr. Hiley's wish to return to the Home Country.

"It is iny opinion that in this country members of Parliament are not paid enough, and it is also my opinion that Ministers are not paid adequately." said Sir Joseph Ward in the House of Repr&sentatives on Friday. He said that the time must, come when the country would have to recognise more fully the value of the services rendered bv members of Parliament.

There is a shortage of labor at the breakwater at tho present time, many of the watersiders having contracted influenza. Yesterday there were thro* vessels at the wharf—the Rarawa. the Kittawa, and the schooner Albert Meyer. To-day the arrival of the Baden Powell will make three vessels in again. The Kittawa and the Baden Powell are both expected to get away to-day. Yesterday the rain in the morning interfered somewhat with unloading operations. A doctor recently returned from Featberston states that of 6000 soldier? in namp there at the outbreak of the epidemic over 4000 went down with it, a large number of them contracting pneumonia. So effectively was the situation tackled, however, that there were lea* than 200 deaths and at the time the doctor in question was released and left for home only sorri" 150 men were in hospital. He considers the trouble, has now been stamped out.

The Ford ambulance which was donated by the citizens to the Hospital Board some time ago has done great work during the epidemic. Already over 100 serious cases have been transported to the hospital through its agency, and the mileage covered since the outbreak is nearly 1000. miles. On Thursday 177 miles were covered with various cases, and the last trip was not completed until nearly 3 a.m. It is hard to fully realise what the organisation would have done without it, and too much praise cannot be bestowed on the drivers and the attendant who have been indefatigable in their efforts to save suffering humanity.