CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1921, Page 5

CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.

BUSINESS MEN WANT CHANGES. NON POLITICAL MANAGEMENT. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. At the Chambers of Commerce Conference a remit several hundred words long was brought forward by the Canterbury Chamber, advocating the appointment of a non-political board responsible to the Government and Parliament for the construction and control of railways. Mr. H. J. Marriner, in moving the remit, said a similar proposal had been brought up and endorsed by previous conferences. The whole railway system was “rotten to the core as a commercial undertaking”, and the time had arrived when it should be brought under the control of commercial men. Mr. J. B. Waters (Dunedin) did not agree with Mr. Marriner that the conference had always agreed with the proposal. He questioned if even the general manager’s deplorable confession that the service was making a daily loss of £4700 would convince the Government that it ought tc give up political control of the railways, together with the right of patronage sc dear to politicians. He moved as an amendment the reaffirmation of the following remit passed by the conference in November last: ‘"That in order to eliminate political influence and promote greater efficiency and economy, all the railways jr course of construction and in prospect b* taken over by the Railway Department, and that this conference affirm the principle of non-political control.” Mr. C. H. Young (Wellington) seconder the amendment. It was hardly fair, Ik said, to blame the Railway Department The i railways were a public service, ape had been carried on under difficulties foi the convenience of the public. Mr. Marriner said he was prepared tc accept Mr. Waters’ amendment. The object of the proposal was simply to get the railways out of the hands of politicians, and to ensure that they would b< run in the interests of the public. Mr. Waters’ amendment becoming the motion, it was carried without dissent.