RAILWAY COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1919, Page 6

RAILWAY COMMISSION.

GENERAL MANAGER'S EVIDENCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. Mr. R. W. McVilly, General Manager of Railways, further examined by the Railway Commission to-day, produced 1 correspondence showing the efforts of his department to obtain coal from New 1 Zealand and abroad, chiefly from Newcastle in 1917. In one letter the then General Manager protested against the fact that half of a cargo of coal had been diverted from the railways to the Coal Trade Committee. Mr. Hiley at that time was greatly harassed about the condition of the coal in stock. A further letter from Mr. Hiley showed that ho urged that the railways be supplied with at least 30,000 tons a month. A cargo of 7000 tons by the Aparima in July, 1917, which the Railway Department had ordered was diverted. The Minister of Railways wrote to the Minister of Mines and Munitions urging that the railways should get precedence from the State mines to the extent of 10,000 tons a month. That was in August, 1917, and the Minister of Munitions wrote in September, 1917, that the department would get 20,000 tons a month from the West Coast; but it did not get it and 'the quantity was cut down to 5000, without the concurrence of the Railway Department. The railways were unable to per?uade the Naval Department io cut down its requirements. "Mr. McVilly also produced subsequent letters from -his department complaining of the Bhort supply of coal for railway purposes.