THE RAILWAYS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 50, 27 August 1925, Page 9

THE RAILWAYS

VIEWS OF MEMBERS

STATEMENT UNDER REVIEW

TARIFF AND OTHER MATTERS.

The Railways Statement was debated at considerable length in the House of Representatives yesterday, and numerous points concerning the service came under review.

The first speaker was Mr. W. A. ,Veitch (Wanganui), who said he' believed it to be a wicked thing to import so much rolling-stock when facilities could have been developed to build it in New Zealand. Those who designed the new imported engines had not looked far ahead, because they were unable to haul some of the trains without assisting engine*. It was a downright absurdity to concentrate repair* ior each Island in one shop.

The Prime Minister: "Ther» -will be two shops in each Island." ,

Mr. Veitch commented on the proposal to - concentrate at Petone workshops, which were already overcrowded. If concentration was .needed, why not have it at some more central point! Otherwise hundreds of locomotives running in Auckland province, would have to be sent through the whole Island for heavy repairs. Last year he had called attention to the fact that the Department was 600 miles behind its own fixed schedule of relaying and it had lost another 40 miles this year. He referred to the railway strike of last year, and its aftermath, and said that the wages of the men' as reduced were below the standard sufficient to meet the cost of living. He maintained that 44 hours was long enough for any traffic man to have to work in the railway service. The men recognised that they had been unwisely led in the strike, and the Minister should now. Bay that the !ost conditions would be restored. He appealed to the Minister to be generous, and do as he suggested, as the men had been punished severely. The policy of non-strike had been reverted to, arid the Minister had the assurance that tho mistake made would not be repeated. There was need for improving the system of promotion from the Second to tho First Division, and a system of examination rather than regulation was needed. If that were done thousands of men would be studying to qualify for promotion. The Appeal Board ■ was doing great work, but it dealt only with individual 1 cases, and for that reason he considered there should be a tribunal between the staff and tire Minister to arbitrate on general questions.

A TRADING CONCERN

Sir. Juhn Luke (Wellington North) In I;pJ upon the railways as a trading i-i-i- urn, and considered that they tli:>u!d in all respects be treated as busi-. ] f .s undertakings. He applauded the <lrvi.iion to make the railways responsiV,!c for their own finance. Sir John, considered that 701b rails should be laid in preference to the lighter rails, on account of the heavy type of engines which were now used. South Africa had a 3ft 6in gauge, but it was his opinion that the New Zealand system compared more than favourably with that of the Union. After arguing that there should be an improvement in the Main Trunk coaches, Sir John Luke devoted some attention to the question of the railway shops, and said he thought the building of locomotives should be carried out in ono shop in each of the North and South Islands. Ho opposed the importation of locomotives as recommended by the Commissioners, considering that all required could be built in tho Dominion.

The Leader of the Labour Party (Mr. 11. E. Holland) devoted the wholo of his remarks to the dangers attending the work of Bhunters. Ten years ago the conditions of shunters were far from satisfactory, and at the present time tho conditions were even more unsatisfactory. Mr. Holland deplored the number of accidents, many of them fatal, which had occurred within the past few months. A former Manager ot Railways (Mr. Hiley), in his report ten years ago, had given a lead, and if the Department had taken his advice remedial measures might have been put into force. Many of the yards were human death-traps at the present time. Shunters were engaged in probably the most dangerous work in the world, but they received no training for that work. The whole fault in tho system appeared to bo the speeding up of the men by the foremen, who in turn were speeded up by somebody else. There appeared to bo a need for a complete reconstruction of the various yards. The fighting of the yards was insufficient, and increased traffic caused congestion. Mr. Hilcy had indicated very plainly what would happen when traffic increaspd, but practically no changes had been made in the system, or, if changes bad been made, they had certainly not been announced. He hoped that tho Minister would be in a position to announce that a complete change would bo made in the system in operation without any delay. Mr. Holland regretted that the inquiry at present being conducted was not open to tho Press.

The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiapoi) referred to the increased coat of running tho railways and also the increased income. One wondered how it had happened that the finances of the Railway Department had reached such a condition that it had become necessary to inquire as to how the income could be tnado to meet the expenditure. They linil to face the question: Was tho railway scrvico costing too much? Th/jy should watch tho position, and ensure I hat they did not run their railways out, of business altogether by trying to mako them pay by increasing freight find p.-jFsnnjzer charges. These charges should bo kept as low as possible.

Mr. I>. '!. Sullivan (Avon) hoped the Government would place no more orders for locomotives abroad than wero necessary to meet the exigenices of the service, as an importation policy was suicidal. Tho Minister's Report showed that »the Department was waking up to present-day requirements. It would appear that too much wasto had been going on in the service, and the Government must lie held blameworthy for having allowed snch a condition of affairs to operato for co long.

Mr. AY. If. Field (Ot-aki) commented on tlia fact that jimch morn courtesy '.yds now shown l>y tho .Railway Depart/pent towards its customers—the gener.il pultlio—and thero were signs that the Department was looking for businc,*. Mr.-FieM agreed that certain of tho accidents to shunters might havn been »voided if a proper system of training bad been put into effect. The cutting -out of stops between Wellington and Palmariton North, us far as tha KVv? Plymouth axpress jraa et)noeraedj

vai causing some inconvenience to residents of towns in the Mauawatu district.

THE TARIFF CRITICISED

Attention was directed by Mr. R. Masters (Stratford) to tht fact that the maintenance staff in the Railways had been reduced below a proper level. In 1911, when there were 2761 miles of opened lines, tho maintenance staff numbered 4228, but to-day with 3085 miles the staff was reduced to 3959. That was very hard to understand. It was not right to show a profit on the railway system at the expense of the maintenance asset. He objeoted to the railways being used for protection of the secondary industries. Tho Prime Minister himself had expressed a similar opinion, but in the new tariff he had perpetuated the old system. It was the same old tariff with the same old classes which had been cut out in other countries. Ho did not know oi any other country whore there were so many classes. What ho wanted to know was "why people in the country should have to pay for the protection of secondary industries while the people in the cities were immune. The rate on timber had been increased to get more revenue, but it was a fact that the Power Boards had to pay 50 per cent, on freight for hardwood poles in order to protect the local sawmilling industry. Again, the glass bottle industry was oeing protected by a preferential tariff which had to be paid by the people in the country. A similar condition of affairs operated in the paper bag making industry. No less than 70 to 100 items were receiving protection. He was distinctly disappointed with the tariff. The railways should be made a common carrier of goods and run on a commercial basis. "We are sticking in the same old rut in the same old way," added Mr. Masters, who said it was because there were so many classes in the tariff that motor competition was increasing. The Prime Minister: "It i 3 the same all over the world."

Mr. Masters replied that if the Prims Minister would look at Australia he would see that things were different.

Mr. Coates maintained that there were fewer classes in New Zealand.

In conclusion, Mr. Masters said the Railway Board should have gone carefully into the tariff with a view of reducing the higher ratea and evening up the lower rates. Mr. L. M'llvride (Napier) said that as far as he could see from the report consideration was going to be given to everybody but the rank and file of the service. He regretted that because the welfare of any service was dependent upon the welfare of tho servants employed. The Railway Department was asking its servants to give of their best, but was offering nothing in return. Mr. M'llvride joined with other speakers in advocating that orders for locomotives should be placed in New Zealand. Dealing with the report as a- whole, the speaker said that there was little in the document that they did not know before.

Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) said that the report forecasted changes which had been advocated for years and years, and they were grateful to get even that much. One feature of tho report was an all-round condemnation of the workshops df the country, and the fact that the workshops were out of date was given as a reason why locomotives should be ordered from outside New Zealand. Mr. Sidey urged, that experiments should be made in the use of New Zealand coal on the railways.

Mr. E. 'A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) drew attention to the fact that experiments with New Zealand coal were being carried out at the present time, and that the results would be made known as soon as they were completed. He congratulated the Railway Department on the changes that had been made,

Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Christcnurch East) said that he would like to see railway fares reduced to such an extent that working people would be able to visit the various scenic resorts. Mr. Armstrong also strongly advocated the use of New Zealand coal on the railways. Support was given by Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) to suggestions that railway fares should bo cheapened to encourage people to use the railways to a greater extent. It was right, enough to attract tourists here, but our own people should be afforded opportunities of visiting the scenic resorts. He urged that New Zealand coal should be used on tho railways, and then said he thought the new tariff would result in the cost of living being increased, because tho extra Jmrden, would be passed on to thie people. The claims of the staff to better consideration were advanced by Mr. Smith, particularly the casuals.

After Messrs. T. W. Rhodes (Thames), F. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn), W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne), P. A. de la Perrelle (Awarua), J. A, Young (Hamilton), E. J. Howard (Christchurch South), W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei), G, M'Kay (Hastings), J. MO. Dickson (Chalmers), and J. R. Corrigan (Patea) had spoken, the Minister of Railwayi (the Hon. J. G. Coates) rose to reply to the dobate at 12.30 a.m.

THE MINISTER REPLIES

The Minister said that some of the criticism had been useful, tut a good deal of it had been on general lines. Some of it had centred on the Railway Commission's report, -which was now long out of dato. They were trying to impress on the public tho necessity for standing by tho railways. If they did not, then a very severe tax would be placed on tho taxpayers. The loss on branch lines amounted to about £280,000, which was very Bevere. The Statement showed that the branch lines were essential to the community, but to protect itself the Department had been forced to cut down the services. What the Department was aiming at was to give an adequate- service on those lines. At the present time losses on the branch lines wero being made up out of the Consolidated Fund, and an effort was being made-' to give rin adequate service with a due regard for economy. The Department would be reimbursed for what it was doing, and was not being asked to give something for nothing; but it was being required to give service to the people. Air. Coates claimed thatithe Railway Commission had done good work in pointing out where improvements could bo effected, and said tho money spent on it had been well spent. As far as possible it was intended to procure locally-manu-factured engines, hut cognisance had to be taken of advico from outside. It was quite possible, that, in designing New Zealand had become insular. Ho mentioned that ho hoped later to publish a report dealing with the design of engines. Ifo considered that tho first claim on tho Railway Improvement Account should be the remodelling of tho shops. Dealing with the financial side of tho system, Mr. Coales said that all money on which interest was being charged was being calculated at 4£ per cent. Tho Engineer-in-Cliict considered that the stability nf the linen was satisfactory, and that there was an ample margin of safety.

Ip regard to the tariff, tho Minister said that if tho preferential rates were abolished ikt uwtwy xoiild •bill b*vg to

be found and the lower rates would have to be raised, as not much more could be put on to the higher rates. Classification of the tariff was a well-establish-ed railway practice. He defended the preferential tariff, and said the Industries and Commerce Department had reported that it was essential for the protection of many of our local industries. He had come to the conolusion that the local industries were of snch importance that the preferential tariff should be continued. In reply to questions, Mr. Coates said it was impossible to go back to the 44-hour week running. He would try to consider the various requests made regarding tho men on their merits, but consideration had to be given to the weight the service could can-y At the same time he desired to pay a. tribute to the excellent work which the men had done.