THE RAILWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1919, Page 5

THE RAILWAYS.

THE RECENT COLLAPSE. ' REPORT OF THE COMMISSION. LACK OF BUSINESS FORESIGHT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Railway Commission's report, presented to the House this morning, states, in regard to rolling stock and engines: An exhaustive inquiry and report on the condition of rolling stock on the New Zealand railways in July, 1010, recorded in Parliamentary Paper D 4, 1017, show that it had been maintained in good and efficient order and condition. It had been found advantageous in making the present inquiry to adopt this as a starting point for further inquiries aa to the condition of rolling stock and engines on July 2,1919. Reference to official data given in return, No. 15, adopted from the annual railway statements presented to Parliament, shows that during the past four years the train mileage run each year was: — In the year ending March 31, 1916, 9,356,522 miles. In the year ending March, 31, 1917, 9,146,331 miles. In the year ending March 31, 1918, 7,468,646 miles. In the year ending March 31, 1919, 7,477,583 miles. The two last years show- a reduced mileage of, roughly, 2,000,000 below the mileage for the year 1016. The reduction in the train mileage was effected by the Railway Department curtailing time tables to Overcome the difficulties arising through the loss of men from enlistment and also to save coal. ■ The curtailment would also diminish the amount of repairs required in future. Since March 31,1910, the following additions have been made:— In wagons, an increased carrying capacity of 0381 tons, equal to an increase of 5.09 per cent. In carriages, increasing seating capacity of 2854 passengers, equal to an increase of 4.61 per cent. In engines, an increase in tractive power of 8,331,1061b, equal to an increase of 10.54 per cent. These figures indicate that so far as capacity and power were concerned the stock and engines on July 2, 1019, were capable of dealing, with ft considerably greater amount of work than they were in tho year ending March 31, 1018, and are far ahead of that required during a similar period. SUSPENSION OF BUILDING. For pome years the Railway Department has been carrying on a programme for building stock and engines commensurate to meet expected extensions and increased traffic. As the war progressed it became desirable to suspend this work, which was done gradually. Much material and many men thus released became available for maintenance work. Some of tho parts and materials which were formerly procured from Great Britain have, during tho war period, been obtained from America, and, to a limited extent, from private stocks. On the whole, no serious difficulty has arisen from any deficiency. There has been a shortage of skilled mechanics at all the shops, especially at Petoiie, and the shortage still continues. Mr. H. H. Jackson, who was chief mechanical engineer of the New Zealand railways for many years, retired on March 31, 1919, and was succeeded by Mr. E. E. Gillon. The evidence of the latter, and of engineers in charge of districts and of workshops managers, has been consistently to the effect that the rolling stock and engines jhave been properly maintained, and are in good and efficient condition. The General Manager's evidence shows that no difficulty has occurred in working the railways on the reduced timetable during the past two years arising from defective rolling stock or engines or shortage of staff. THE COAL SUPPLIES. The coal supplies report includes returns giving particulars of the railway coal supplies from April, 1913, to July 2, 1919. About 260,000 tons of bituminous coal obtained from the West Coast and Aus-' tralia, and about 66,000 tons of brown coal wore required per year for the full year in the years ending March 31, 1910 and 1917, and somewhat less than this for tlie reduced timetable of 1918 and l!)in. Brown coal, which has only twothirils of the heating power of bituminous coni, and which deteriorates quickly, is not kept in stock, and is usually used for light traffic. ,Fast through trains and heavy work require bituminous coal. In October, 1913, the coal stock was 85,442 tons. Difficulties in obtaining coal began immediately after this, and as progressed the reserve fell with some fluctuations until by July, 1919, only 9560 tons remained in stock, compelling the Railway Department to suspend the ofdinary timetable then in operation. The present officers consider the stock of bituminous coal should not be less than 80,000 tons in normal times, but no written rule to this effect seems to have been made. Difficulties in getting supplies began soon after the declaration of war, and during 1916 the deficiency became general throughout the country. A conference between the Minister of Munitions and Supplies, the Minister of Railways, the then General Manager of Railways, some of the principal men of business, and shipping representatives was held on December 19, 1916, resulting in an advisory committee of six boing formed, of which the then General Manager of Railways was one. After this, by a war regulation dated February 5, 1917,.a committee of three, under the control of the Minister of Munitions and Supplies, and called "The Coal Trade Committee," was established. The committee was advisory only. The Minister of Munitions was administrator of the coal regulation through the officers of his department. RATIONING OF COAL. By a regulation of August 28, 1917, rationing of all coal supplies, including railways, came under his control. This became effective on October 4, 1917. The Minister did not regulate the purchase of coal or the rate of freights. He obtained offers of froights, but it was left to the General Manager of Railways to accept or refuse these offers. There was not enough coal coming forward to properly meet all demands in the distribution of coal available. Supplies for the Navy and for transports and shipping carrying troops and food supplies for the Imperial Government necessarily would Tank first, and could not be limited, Supplies for railway*

and the great producing Industries, trMcs, ,* are mutually inseparable, would MMti '4| next. , *; S The interests of the whole ' were concerned in this order of diitrilfti*: % tion. On October 4, 1917, lrhtb tiUi ':s rationing of coal began under tfe* " Minister of Munitions, tho BaShmy d Department was required to renAtr "j weekly returns of stocks and give ooA< \ stant notice of its requirement* to Minister of Munitions, and it (tid thl* regularly. Tho Munitions Department? duties regarding codl supplies were molt '■) onerous and complex. Ulhis quoatidft £ was largely governed by causes beyadfi the Department's control or observation. * ' The naval and military conditions Ift Europe, the control of available shipping by the Imperial authorities, the ehortagi '. of shipping throughout the worl4, diminished importation from Newcastle, and diminished output from the Wen 5> Coast mines all added to the difficulty <& i pursuing any definite plane. • -1 CARGOES REFUSED. | After examining the voluminous eat* •1| respondenoe submitted to us, m taM' 'M only conclude that the Coal Trade Cttk- "% mittee and Munitions Department gwrit most careful and painstaking attention *H .to their work. The Railway Departtfllfit 1 J ou several occasions refused offer* <4 - M coal, sometime! because it was unsold, ,-3 able and sometimes because it would m 4' ' ,3 pay the higher freight charges necessary/ .3 to get the additional coal. . ; \:|| Note; On this point the following 5 -|j appears in the Commission's detail A reply to a question in order of reference - as to whether proper diligence and low t ! J Bight were exercised by the Railwajfc $ Department in obtaining coal suppiiea t#j * J meet its requirements: "After Octobe# i'j 4,1917, the Minister of Munitions ratlobV' J ed railways and other consumers, Thlil '.H course was agreed to at the timo by tM(, "I Railway Department. It, in £ac& requested the Minister of Munitions t4 ! J bring his powers into force, became il ' -f considered it was not getting a sufficient 'i share of coal from the West Coast mtneA 4 The Railway Department continued tS a make its own purchases. None of thekf. J efforts produced sufficient coat Ift th|"' ,j. year ending March, 1918, the railway* i reduced the timetables by about miles a year, and the General Manager - of Railways refused to pay higher freights demanded by ocean steamer* to ■' make special trips to bring supplies to <dj New Zealand, thus losing opportunities »! of supplementing the railway supplies, - J In respect that the General Managtr ' . j refused to pay higher freights which were reasonable we do not think that fee J showed proper foresight. , ■ fl THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC, ' The report concludes: The final episode which eeeme to have led to the railway *3' collapse was the influenza epidemic, com- ■' mencing in New Zealand at the end of ■ 1 October, 1918, It not only directly 1 affected the mining population, but by ' J prolonged quarantine regulations, which " were imposed first in New Zealand and • immediately after in Australia, it dislo- | catcd local us well as overseas shipping to an unparalleled extent, and this difficulty continued to operate up to the < date that tho ordinary timetable had to 'j be suspended for want of coal supplies. ;, i 1,11 ■' * ■ -i