The Railways

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 284, 27 August 1930, Page 13

The Railways

Sir, —In your esteemed paper thio day appears a short article (No. 4 under editorial) apropos the presentation of papers dealing with railways under construction. It was quite interesting—apd as you aptly put it, “Not only the House, but the whole country will be interested to learn what can be said to justify a programme involving a capital expenditure of 15 millions when existing lines are making an annual loss of nearly 1$ . millions, and certain branch lines are'being closed as unpayable,” I will go further than this, and say: It is sheer folly, and seems to suggest the old,time saying, “What you lose on the swings you get back on the roundabouts.” I want to know this: The whole system of railways has been boosted, advertised, and talked about throughout the North and South Islands for the past two years, yet despite all this publicity, and the activities of the general manager, commercial and publicity officers, the whole concern is sinking deeper into debt and chaos. How is it? “Motor competition has been the cause of it,” is the chief reason advanced—until .the Minister of Railways said definitely, in the House recently, “Losses are not due to motor competition as much as people think. Well, now we'-will try the other big excuse: “Political interference,” I cannot discuss the truth or otherwise of this, but I think I am safe in saying that if it ha? been through some political bluebottles meddling, well, the general manager should have taken the country into his confidence, braved the anger or favour of all, and with the .interests only of his department in view, and boldly progressing, he would soon have bad the great force and moral support of the whole mass of the public behind him to forge ahead.” In the general manager’s message in tho January issue of the “Railway Magazine,” appeared these words to the whole services “The year (1929) through which we have passed has been one of steady progress in the development, of our services in the direction of making them. increasingly responsible to public requiremeats.” Note the words “one of steady progress," and yet the annual-'.stocktak-ing this year shows the biggest, deficit ever known—and no hint of interference politically. It is vital to this Dominions future prosperity and present progress that we have more railways—they are the arteries of the very country’s existencehut what, in the-name of common-sense, is the good of spending huge sums on new lines knowing full well that those already in existence are saddling the already ovenburdened taxpayer with more debt? A man opens a shop, by sheer hard work, enterprise, service, etc., he succeeds. He opens another—success still attends. He begins to spread further, and prospers exceedingly. If after his first venture progress is absent, does he still launch, out into other branches on borrowed capital? No! He, concentrates on his first venture.- Thus, I. contend that if the service is made attractive, more attention devoted to the present needs, and the system already in existence is encouraged, and practically administered, the public will respond. One thing in closing: Sunday travelling is hot popular with a large number of kill-joys, etc., and much breath is wasted trying to stop it. ’ There is a certain amount of truth,in their objections, possibly, but the fact remains: Sunday is the only possible chance thousands of toilers get to, take a run up to Plimmerton, or wherever they choose, for a change of air and scenery. So why deny them? Why not foster their desire for rest and •change, and put into action n service of good, cheap, quick trains? “To accumulate you have to speculate,” And I venture to say’t would in a short time prove my contention—that more attention to present needs would eventually assure future expansion on a paying basis, to our railways. “Nothing succeeds like success” is an old saw, but it is true if applied right away to our existing steel ribbons. It is, of course, certain that much opposition would meet the introduction of my suggestion by the department, but the opposition, however formidable, will never make people go to church on Sundays. It is not opposition to the will of the toilers that will encourage Sunday worship—rather to mould their will to the knowledge that it is a duty to do so. New Zealand people are proud of all their ' undertakings—and rightly so—but they are a wee bit dubious about the iron horse—and its inability to pull its own load,—l am, etc,, THOS. J. L. August 18. . ’