THE MAIN TRUNK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 149, 24 June 1908, Page 2

THE MAIN TRUNK.

STAFFING THE STATIONS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Iα anticipation of the openiilg of the forth Island Main Trunk line, the Rail•way Department has for some time past been largely augmenting the staff on the Wellington-Napier-New Plymouth and Auckland sections, and has now a considerable number of men in training to take up positions that will be created by the opening of the Main Trunk line. It is, moreover, the usual practice at the end of every financial year for the railway staff, in the ordinary course, to be re-classified, and in so doing to transfer members of the staff from various positions in the other island. The business and trade of the North Island are expanding more rapidly than the business in the South, and this may necessitate the transfer of a few of the more senior men from the South Island to the North Island. Otherwise there will be no material difference this year in the matter of transfers from what has been followed for some years past. It is 426 miles from Auckland to Wellington, and a large arcng of railway men .will be required to work the traffic The -central section is the only portion to be freshly staffed, and as the Working Railways Department has closely followed the railhead, there is but a small gap of the whole route unprovided with surfacemen, running staff and stationhands. This matter was put to the Minister for Railways (the Hon. W. HallJones) by a Wellington "Times" representative, who learned from the Minister that Waionrn, Ohakune, and Eaurimu, the outposts, so to speak, of the working railways, are already provided with staffe and traffic is being conducted up to those points, so that there will not be big addition's co make when the line is open for through traffic _A number of surfacemen will be required, and these can be easily secured from the men at present engaged on the worke. A big timber traffic is anticipated, but there 13 a lot of development to bs done before it reaches full pressure.