A RAILWAY BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1921, Page 7

A RAILWAY BOARD.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PROPOSAL. Among those who are dissatisfied with the manner in which the New Zealand railway service is conducted is the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, which has forwarded the -following remit for consideration by the conference on November 23 and 24: “That in order to ensure better management of the New Zealand railways, the Government be recommended to place the entire management and control of all New Zealand railways, both operating and in course of construction, under a business board answerable to Parliament,- the constitution of such business board to be on the following lines: “(a) A railway board to be appointed to take over all existing railways, both operating and in course of construction, and all existing railway surveys, estimates, and records. “(b) The board to be responsible to the Government and Parliament —(1) for management of railways; (2) for recommendations to Government and Parliament as to railway construction; (3) for all railway construction authorised by Parliament. “(c) (1) All reports and recommendations of the board to the Government to be laid before Parliament in session and printed for public information; (2) the Governor-General may, by Order-in-Council, exercise the power to veto in respect to any act of the board which may, in the opinion of his responsible officers, be contrary to the public interest; (3) all moneys allocated by Parliament fo the Rail wavs Department for new construction, maintenance, repairs, or for any other purpose not provided for out of current railway revenue shall be debited to the railway acdoqnt, and with . interest thereon; (4) it,, shall be the-duty of the railway board to issue annually a true statement of accounts in the form, of an ordinary commercial balance-sheet giving details of the trading accounts and profit and loss accounts. “(d) The New Zealand Railway Board shall consist of the Minister of Railways and seven other members — one member appointed by the Government, who shall be the official chairman of the board; two members appointed by Parliament assembled; one member representing commerce, manufacturers, and mining, to be known as section 1 of elected members; one member representing the agricultural, pastoral, and farming interests generally, to be known as section 2; one member representing the United Federation of Labor, to be known as section 3 of the elected members; one member representing united interests of employees in the entire staff of the Railway Department, to be known as section 4 of the elected members.

“(e) The four elected members of the hoard shall be elected by an electoral college consisting of the following persons:—Five persons chosen by' each o-f the following: Associated Chambers of Commerce, Industrial Corporation of New Zealand, New Zealand Farmers’ Union, New Zealand Agricultural and Pastoral Associations, and the United Federation of Labor; three persons each chosen by the united railway services of New ’Zealand, and the Coal, Gold, and Mine Owners’ Associations. “(f) Each of the bodies named in clause (e) herein may nominate three persons, but not more than three, for one of the seats represented by a section. The elections shall be held, evgry three years. The elections shall be conducted by such persons as the Hon. Minister of Railways may appoint.”