RAILWAY WORKSHOPS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 10, 6 October 1927, Page 11

RAILWAY WORKSHOPS

THE GOVERNMENT'S PLAN.

Br TELEGBAPH.—FEESS ASSOCIATION. Napier, October 5. During the Borough Council discussion on Monday night in connection with the reported intention of the Government to transfer the bulk of the employees at Napier railway workshops to other centres, ’caving only a small staff here for running repairs, reference was made to remarks of the Prime Minister during the election campaign which were interpreted as a promise not to close the works.

Reference to the Prime Minister’s remarks in Napier on October 25, 1925, show that the action being taken at present is in accordance with the policy expressed at that time. What Dlr. Coates said was: “It lias been said that the Government propose to do away with the Napier ■ railway workshops. They don’t propose to do anything of the kind. No-proposal of such a nature has ever been considered. Running repair shops will still be maintained in Napier, but I never said we are going to erect any new shops for heavy construction work. The Government’s policy is to centralise this heavy work, designing coaches and carriages in one set of shops, and engines in another. If v e came to tin's position that we have to consider the political opinion of every town in New Zealand we would then have every town wanting to have its own shops.”