RAILWAYS BOARD

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 184, 2 May 1931, Page 6

RAILWAYS BOARD

Competition for Seats . MANY APPLICANTS Prime Minister to Decide Large numbers of applications for positions on the Railways Board to be set up under the Government Railways Amendment Act, passed by Parliament during the emergency session, have been received by various. Ministers. All have been forwarded to the Prime Minister, who will be responsible for the final selection of the board of five. According to the terms of the Act, the board will assume office on June 1, on which date the control of the railways will be handed over to it. Although there are several important reservations,. chiefly relating to finance, the new organisation will control the administration of the system, the staff and the running of trains, and it will be in its power to report to Parliament upon the advisability or otherwise of carrying out construction works. Membership of Five. There will be five members on the board, and all will hold positions if they wish. The chairman is to receive £l6OO a year, and each of the other'-four, members £5OO a year. It is likely to be some time before, they will be in a position to frame a policy if it is decided to make any alterations, for the members will first have to make themselves acquainted with the railways and their working. One of the most important aspects of the board’s work which it is expected it 'will undertake as soon as possible is .that relating to the four lines at present ‘under construction; In its original form the Bill, which was designed to remove thb railways from political control, gave the board power to make recommendations to Parliament concerning contemplated construction . and also concerning the advisability of restarting work that had been suspended previously. During last session the Prime Minister presented a return to Parliament showing that the estimated annual loss on the seven lines then under construction would be over £700,000 when they became operative. Since then work has ceased on three of the lines. Much criticism was expressed when the Bill was before the House of Representatives because the proposed board would have no power to report upon lines under construction. However, as the result of a request by the Leader of the Ov>osltion, Right Hon. J. G. Coates, the Prime Minister agreed to give the board this power. Chief mention was made of the South Island Main Trunk line, for it was upon this work that an inquiry was wanted. Dispensation-to Members.

This being clear, both Mr. E. F. Healy, United member for Wairau, through a large part of whose electorate the railway would run. and Mr. T. Makitanara. United member for Southern Maori, voted against the Government upon the point. It was at first thought that this action would arouse the displeasure of the Prime Minister, as was the case when Mr. G. C. Black voted against the Government earlier in the session. It has since been learned, however, that they were granted a special dispensation to vote as they did. The Reform Party has consistently called for a full investigation into the likelihood of lines that are being constructed paying their way, and the Prime Minister has already indicated that, should the new board desire to hold an immediate review of the position, it should be able to report to Parliament by the time it meets in mid-June. All the data is to hand, and there will be no need to hold a special inquiry. In view of the huge losses expected to be made by the lines, it is reasonable to assume that the board will take advantage of its power to make some recommendations to Parliament in the near future.