RAILWAY OFFICERS' CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18429, 9 July 1925, Page 16

RAILWAY OFFICERS' CONFERENCE.

ADDRESS BY PRIME MINISTER. ~ (press AssociiTioir telegram.) -■' WELLINGTON, July 8. At the annual meeting of tho Railway Officers' Institute to-day an address was given by the Hon. J. G. Coates. who said the idea of reorganisation of the railways was to give the public the best possible service. In this work he had received every possible assistance from officers. They

had accomplished a great deal of

ground-work without dislocation. So • Jar no hitch, had occurred. Ho believed that the efforts were being ,recognised by ,tho public. Success was only possible by co-operation, and the Department wanted the staff to know what tho difficulties of the nianjuge-

«ient were, and what'they meant, and ". to use their judgment. Referring to ■'compulsory retirement alter forty years'" service, he said that though it "meant tho loss of valuable services in many, cases, yet it opened avenues of. promotion and encouraged initiative, and the policy had been, one of benc-

.*.■"■ fit- They wanted to encourage men i-'.-.to make themselves competent, and by i- a process, of examination and merit to 'qualify themselves for the highest '"."'positions'. He also referred to• the value to the Department and officers of i ; trips abroad to study methods. ,In order to remedy the effects of New Zealand's isolation, it had been necessary,' as a matter of expediency, to bring in officers from outside. He did not like this as- a matter of policy, though it had been essential, and he Aid'not propose to do it in future. His idea was that officers should be sent abroad fairly continually to keep in touch with methods elsewhere. Tho

Minister foretold the issue of a Departmental journal to inform all raifwaynien of the position of progress in rail- _ way matters. There also would be complete overhaul of the system of , staff control to discover the best pos- ;-.. sible system.