QUEENSLAND AND N.Z. RAILWAYS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 153, 16 March 1923, Page 8

QUEENSLAND AND N.Z. RAILWAYS

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —Have you not misreported Mr. Collings in to-day’s issue of your paper when it is stated that “the net revenue per 'train mile in Queensland was ss. 4d., compared, with 2s. BJd. in New' Zealand?” The figures as I find them are taken for the year 1921, which are “not earnings per train mile, 5.25 d. for Queensland against 32.86 d. for New Zealand.” , Again, you report Mr. Collings as saving: “Where the Queensland railways lost £4200 per day, so New Zealand railways were losing £4OOO a day not long ago.” Is this correct when ho is also reported as saying that he remembers that at one time “you people were losing £4OOO per day on our railways, and 1 want to assure you that at no time m Labour’s history did we rise to that giddv height of im-oni petencc.” > Have you reported Mr. Collings correctly when von report him as saying that the loss' on the Queensland railways was duo to increased wages to railwaymen since they took office amounting to £2,000,000? because the present Government in New Zealand has increased wages to this extent and has not attributed the loss to that item of expenditure. *1 quite agree with Mr. Collings when ho states that comparisons are unfair between tho Dominion and Queensland, and most misleading in any case lor a comparison unless one has the whole facts before one, such as rates, concessions, trains run per mile, wages, hours ol work, penal rates, etc., so why did hi» introduce tho comparisons and bring down applause and laughter when lie referred to “the giddy heights ot incompetence of our railways?” Tha-L is a reflection not only on the management but on ths employees and the vast majority of whom 'are far from incompetent. But have you not misroportel him on these subjects? I know (that tho railway employees in Queensland have been repeatedly turned down by the Arbitration Court for a 44-hour week, guaranteed week’s wages, penal rates tor night work,i find increased' wages, and hero again comparisons with tdio Dominion are unta.u.

Figures about miles of railway per populations, etc., aro also unrnir amt most misleading, and can be quoted to suit the party in power. I threk Mr. Collings would have beeji better advised m quoting the mere fact that Queensland ana West Australia txl *«he Kjiigxsst purchasing power tor wages in AUMcrnlia, and tnis is the most important question to-dny. —I am. etc., AV. McARLEY,

March 15, 1923. [Through an obvious jnisprin't, the net revenue per train mile in Queeiisland, quoted by Mr. Collings at inc Town Hall address, was reported as os. 4d., instead of s}d., in our issue of yesterday. Mr. Collings added that tho deficit on the Queensland railways had to bo viewed side by side,with the fact that, under tho Labour Government, laihvaymcn’s wages last year exceeded by two millions sterling the wages paid before Labour took office.)