The Railways.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20420, 15 December 1931, Page 10

The Railways.

Speaking to members of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Railway Officer*' Institute, to a telegraphic report yesterday, Mr H. H. Sterling, the chairman of the Railways Board, said a good deal that was encouraging, if not very pew or cast in the concrete terms that would be most useful. Nobody can be told, too often, not even railwayman, that the railways have not been run on sound business lines, and that reform is now imperative} but it. is ft little difficult to see why Mr Sterling should think it necefit sary to take a tone of deprecation ana excuse in telling his hearers what the Board is in office to do. The Board does not need to be defended against any charge of being "arbitrary," certainly not until railwaymen have been plainly told that they must stop passing arrogant resolutions. Agato, it is a pity that Mr Sterling did not e*plain himself, better, when he said that, although the service "might" in future be organised in closer accordance with business principles it was necessary at present to recognise " cross currents ... which prevented " it." The H might w is not firm enough. If the country's condition and its wish are regarded, "must" is the only word. As for tho "crow currents," Mr Sterling perhaps means merely that the railways cannot be reorganised wjth complete efficiency unless #s a part of

an efficiently organised transport system, embracing road as well as trail. That is as may be, and Mr Sterl ngV welcome of the Transport Licersing Act as a "start," and not ar n " bolster" for the railways but is a responsibility to live up to, s lows more warmth and eagerness than noat people will feel, who have lo )ked squarely at the terms of the Act; but all that need be said just now is that a great deal can be done without' raiting for the blessings of "co-orlinu-"tion" to bo dispensed by the licensing authorities, and every bit of that should be done. The Railways Eoard has been appointed to help the railways out, not to be helped out by the Act. So far it has done very well, so well that it is possible to rest expectations of further success on the more po sitivo rather than on the dubious and hesitating parts of the chairman's sjeech. But if the "cross currents" against which the Board has to fight are moic than the difficulties of competition and of burdens inherited from a pO itical control supposed to bo dead, the i Mr Sterling should speak out and l<t the country know what they are.