GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1900, 7 November 1913, Page 4

GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.

' SOME 1 MINOR'REFORMS. AMENDING BILL DISCUSSED. The Government Railways Amendment Bill was considered in Committee. Mr. T. H. Davey asked the Minister to do away'with tho provision making railway-tickets nontransferable. Now that no advantage was gained by taking out a return ticket thero was 110 reason why the return lialf .should not be sold.

Sir Walter Buchanan supported the request, and endorsed an opinion expressed by Mr. Davey that tho present restrictions placed upon tho salo of tickets were antedoluvian. In tho United States no such restrictions wero imposed. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson said the Department now had some rather hide-bound notions about- private sidings, Peot> l i jreajiirod to pay a atifll foe for ih«-

siding, and also a heavy annual rent. Ho thought the Department should encourage tho use of priyato sidings. If they did they would encourage the business of goods sheds and keep tho congestion away from goods sheds. Ho supported what had already boon said about tickets, saying also that ho would like to see railway tickets sold in centres in tho cities.

Mr. G. Witty add that a machinist killed a few days ago at Addington had been working for 17 hours on -end when tho accident occurred. He hoped tho Minister would issue instructions that such hours should not bo allowed in the workshops in future. Vending Newspapers. Mr. G. M. Thomson recommended tho Minister to forbid the vending of newspapers in railway carriages. Mr. Herries: I was going to do it, but met with such a howl of indignation from all tho'newspaper proprietors that I desisted. Mr. Thomson said that it Was iiot right that travellers should be troubled by touts. The Hon. D. Buddo said ho thought tho Minister should cut down the speed permitted over lev-el crossings from ten milos to six miles an hour. The rate of ten miles an hour ho thought was too fast. Mr. J Bollard urged that thonv ought to be some better method devised of issuing tickets oft the train. He had known cases when there were a number of, passengers from a flag station and the guard was unable to write out all the tickets in time, the result being that some passengers travelled -without paying their fare. Ho was sure the Department wero losing Tevenuo by this old-fashioned system of issuing tickets. Mr. [A.. Harris 'suggested that sleepers for second-class passengers should be provided on the Main Trunk expresses* Concessions are Expensive. The Hon. W. H. Hcrrics, replying, said that as long as the present system of issuing tickets was in ibree he must have the clause in the Bill making tickets untransferable. He proposed to retain the clause, therefore, but ho was prepared to look into tho position with the new general manager with regard to ordinary tickets. But there wero bo many other tickets that tho clause was necessary, Tho,Bill had been carefully considered by the Railways Committee, and' he had practically pledged himself to pass the Bill as it had come from the Railways Committee. Complaints We-re made that the Department charged too big prices for sidings; but honourable members did not always know what these sidings consisted of. If sidings were between stations there was always a, risk, and there must be interlocking signals, ill- i stalled which wero very expensive. The Department .endeavoured as far as po-S* j sible to meet people who wanted sid-! ings, but as a general rule the Department found that- it would aot pay the Department to put in sidings. _ Of course, if members wanted the railways to pay- only 2 per cent. he would be prepared to reduce tho cost, of sidingsj but it was very unfair for honourable members to complain that the railways did not pay, ana then to ask for, concessions. Already many concessions wero being given by the Bill to meet the just demands of railway servants.. Ho proposed to look into the question of taking,off the extra rates on hardwood '• timber and imported ■ ooal the whole " tariff ' was considered presently. Ho admitted that there wore anomalies in the tariff, and possibly tho extra rate on hardwood was one of them. Ho regretted that the Department could not give second-class sleepers at present, but the matter was having consideration. Ho said ho couid see little objection to the sale of newspapers 'on trains. Mr. G. V. Pcarce said he did not object to tho sale of papers on trains, rather'ho would object if ho did -not get tho papors. What he did object to was the practice of newspaper run.ners on the trains trying to -force picture postcards and trashy novels on pas- • songers. This nuisance, ho thought, mignt be abated. Mr. T. M. Wilfo.rd urged that trains should bo made up on a regular plan, so that passengers would not have to search for tho class of carriage they wanted. Ho also advocated tho speed-ing-up of suburban trains-and-the electrification of the failway from Wellington to tho Hutt. It was criminal, ha said, that tho water available at Akatarawa should be running to waste. The Minister said that the( railways wero

making four per cent,, but paying lines in the North Island had to assist in building up four per coivt. upon Eonpaying lines in the South Island. Dr. JRangihiroa said that it was unfair that a case of New Zealand apple? should be carried on the railways for ■sixpence while three shillings was charged upon a csso of Cook Island oranges. Mr. J. H. Bradney said that he did not think there should be any differential rates on. the railways except on things like manure and lime. Freight Anomalies. Tho Hon, W. H. Herries said that the freights on fruit would be reviewed when ho went through the whole tariff with the new General Manager of Railways. There were numerous anomalies to which his attention had been called. There wero freights in the South Island which had remained unaltered while corresponding sea-borne freights . had doubled. Regarding the electrification of tho Hutfc' railway ho would look into the question, but it was iiot quite certain that electric railways were cheaper than others. A Point of Procedure, Mr. G. W. Russell moved to take the Speaker's ruling on a ruling by tho Chairman (Mr. Malcolm) that matters before a Select Committee could not be discussed by the House until the Committee had reported. In this case tho question arose from the fact that petitions dealing with superannuation and other matters were before the Railways Committee. The Chairman had ruled that these matters could not bo discussed on the Railways Bill. Mr. T. H. Davey said that tho late Mr. Speaker Guinness had repeatedly ruled that although 'matters were before a Committee they could be discussed by the House. .

■ Mr. Speaker, after hearing argument, ruled that a matter referred to a 6elect committee could hot bo discussed. • He therefore upheld the ruling of tho chairman.

The short title of the Bill Tvas passed at 11.40 p.m. Mr. T. H. Davey move?! an amendment to make it a piinlsnSoio offence to sell or offer to sell any tourist, season, concession, or "trip" tiek&ts, but not <ydinary tickets. ; The Hon. W. H. Herries saiff'ho could not accept the amendment, liecauso ho was not quite sure what the effect of it would be. Ho would, however, promise that whatever the result of the division might be, he would look into tho question, and ,if ho found it possible, lie micht have the cause inserted in the Bill In another place. The amendment w«.s diilfcated by 28 votes to 21. x Tho Bill was reported with" "amendments. SECOND BALLOT, REPEAL "BTLL~ COMING. The Hon. F. M. B. FISHER gave notice of his intention to introduce the Second BaTlot Ilopeal Bill. Sir Joseph "Ward : Will tho Minister explain tho Bill? Mr. Fisher: To-morrow. The House roso at 0.13 a.m.