NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 55, 28 November 1928, Page 10

NOTES OF THE DAY

The railway revenue for the half-year amounted to £4,Gz/,L'45 and the expenditure £3,670,/78. This compares closely with the corresponding period of last year, when the revenue and expenditure totalled £4,001,750 and £3,578,596 respectively. The increase of revenue amounts to £75,295 and the advance in expenditure £92, 182. There is still a decline in passenger traffic, but live stock and goods traffic shows an improvement. The problem clearly is to recapture some of the lost passenger traffic, and this in face of the motor competition and the increasing private ownership of motor vehicles is a difficult problem. The activities of the Railway Department, however, appear to be in the right direction. The popular excursions which are being arranged not only directly increase the . railway earnings, but they assist to encourage the habit of using the railways. That is quite an important factor.

Some criticism has been directed at the efforts of the Fire Brigade in connection with the destructive fire in the heart of the City on Monday evening. It is difficult to express a confident opinion, for the circumstances made the task of the brigadesmen a formidable one. The fire had got a strong hold when the brigade reached the scene, and the outbreak occurring as it did in the centre of the block of buildings, made the attack difficult of approach. Both the City Engineer and the Chief of the Fire Brigade state that the water supply was efficient, but it was very plain to the spectators at times that the pressure from some of the hoses was unequal to requirements. This may have been due to the number of leads in use, but the fact remains that the pressure at times occasioned adverse comment, and but for the stillness of the night the fire undoubtedly would have spread even wider destruction than was occasioned. There was nothing but admiration for the courageous manner- in which the brigadesmen carried out the more dangerous portion of their work. Indeed, in some instances their actions appeared to the onlookers to verge on foolhardiness, the margin of safety seeming very slight. Presumably, however, they knew what they were about.

It is a tribute to the Coates Government that everyone appears to have taken it for granted that Mr. Coates and his colleagues would “do the right thing” so far as their part went in straightening out the political' tangle. The decision of the Prime Minister to summon Parliament immediately the final counts were made has been universally approved. It is equally creditable to those Ministers who were defeated at the polls that they should have so speedily resigned their portfolios. This has n.ot always been the case, Ministers defeated at the polls frequently spending some time—as they are entitled to do if they so choose—in clearing up matters in their different Departments. All the Reform Ministers defeated at the recent elections, however, have now relinquished the emoluments of office. To-day a caucus of members of the Reform Party will be held in Wellington, and no doubt questions affecting the future policy of the party will be discussed. In this connection, it might be suggested, there is no reason why any hasty decision should be reached. Mr. Coates and his followers are not called on to commit themselves to any course of action beyond affording the new Parliament the opportunity to vote on a want-of-confidence motion.