RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 467, 27 March 1909, Page 13

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

Sir, —I notice you have on ono or two occasions loforred to tlio management of our Stato railways, and trust tho publicity given through the medium of your journal will havo some effect upon tlio authorities. As a victim of the system—or lack of . system—that prevails, 1 wish to submit additional evidence in support of your attitudo in this respcct. It is quite a common thing for merchandise to ba overcarried—that is, instead of being put off at the station for which it is consigned, it is carried an to some other station, and alter being "lost" for, maybe, 'a number of days, it i 3 di.covered and returned to th c . locality it was intended for. This frequently causes considerable inconvenience to consignors and consignees alike. 1 once heard of a truck of coal that was completely lost so far as the railway authorities were concerned, and it was not till the aid of the police was invoked that tho missing coal was discovered. If an independent inquiry wero held 1 am confident it could ho proved beyond a shadow of doubt that the service is extremely unsatisfactory This is possibly due to tho inefficient "manning" of tho sorvico by inexperienced men. Platelayers have occasionally to assist the ''running" staff —that is, with tho train service—shunters assist to do guards' dutios, and porters arc said to bo doing shunters' work. In fact, the wholo service is a muddle. Some railway, officials have a "good time," whilo a few stationmasters are doing double duty, and it is a marvel that they stand tho strain. I trust you will pardon me for asserting that your criticism so far has erred —it has erred on tho sido of leniency, and has not been nearly so severe as tho condition of tho scrvice warrants. Is it not possible to stir the highly-paid officials to a sense of their responsibilities?—l am, etc., TRADESMAN. March 23.