BRAINY IDEAS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 6, 8 January 1930, Page 10

BRAINY IDEAS

FROM ALL SOURCES

WANTED BY RAILWAYS

SPECIAL BOAED'S WORK

At forty or more of the larger railway stations in New Zealand are- boxes and a supply of letter-cards. The former have on them the statement that the- Kail way Department invites from the- travelling public or from employees suggestions for improving the efficiency of the running of the railways, and with the letter-card (which requires no stamp) and the post-box at hand, this invitation is widely accepted. A special board, the Suggestions and.lnventions Board, sits every Monday morning, and deals with the contents of the boxes, and with a large number of suggestions received through other channels. Those suggestions or inventions likely to be of practical value are recommended for a trial, and, if adopted, it may be that a monetary award awaits the originator.

It was in June, 1925, that this idea, of reaping the benefit of other people's brains was adopted, and it has proved remarkably successful. Although the travelling public send in quite a large number of suggestions, it is from railway men themselves that most of the practical ideas originate, which is only to be expected seeing that they have a working knowledge of railway conditions. Since its inauguration the Suggestions and Inventions Board has received close on six thousand suggestions. Of these some 500, or one in 12, have been recommended for adoption. Commendations number over 300, and one hundred or so monetary awards have .been made. A large number of suggestions arc under investigation and trial. Although in many cases the invention or suggestion brought to light by these means is only a small thing, it is the small things that count, and the small savings added up total in the aggregate quite a respectable sum.

Naturally such a system is open for abuse by the self-styled humorist who, when he suggests that the wheels of all trains should be covered with balloon tires to make smoother running, is only wasting his and departmental time. But such individuals are rare, and the vast majority of suggestions are made in all seriousness. These upon receipt are numbered and are considered in numerical sequence. The board is not aware of the identity of the suggestion maker, and consequently there can be no question that a proposal is adopted or a reward granted merely on account of the maker's position in the service. Very often suggestions aro put forward which in themselves cannot be adopted, but,' as the result of investigations put in train, some alterations, or improvement is affected in another direction. If the combined knowledge of the board enables it to arrive at a decision as to the merits of an idea submitted to it, steps are immediately taken to try it, but in many cases a proposal needs the evidence of witnesses and departmental reports before a decision can be reached. The tentative adoption of a promising proposal is followed by payment to the originator of a preliminary award. Later, when the value of the idea can be more accurately assessed in the light of practical experience of it in operation, this is followed by a substantial percentage on .the actual saving, this being the final bonus. VARIETY OF SUGGESTIONS. Six thousand . suggestions have furnished a wealth of opinion, of inventive faculty, and of practical knowledge. They cover a great range of subjects, from level crossing devices to baby-carrying devices on tho back of seats and cross-word puzzles as a means of advertising the railways. Many of the suggestions received aro of a. highly technical nature, such as could only be made by someone thoroughly conversant with the job.- Others aro suggestions which require no expert knowledge, such as the idea of using metal season tickets of the kind used in Australia. ObserVers of railway customs and technique in othor countries often have suggestions to make, but under existing circumstances it is not always possible to adapt to tho New Zealand railways all the good points of railway systems and management in other countries. As an example of a practical suggestion received and adopted may be mentioned one which advocated the covering of the Westinghouse brake tubes with coiled wire. Previously these were uncovered and, chafing against tho connecting chains, gradually wore through. The resulting bill for renewals was considerable, but it has been, very much lessened by tho adoption of the suggestion. Many people might remark that any fool could have thought of that, but the point is that it was not thought of until someone with brains came along' and reaped the reward. And so it is with many other suggestions; they, seem so simple that one wonders why they have not - been thought of before, but the fact remains that they have hitherto escaped notice. A POPULAR SYSTEM. The psychological effect of having a Suggestions f.nd Invcnticms Board is important to the Service. The staff has a channel by .means of which ideas from men in the humblest ranks may receive the attention of administrative heads without fear or favour. Every man in the cervice knows that if he has a. "brain wave" there may be money in it, and that his idea will not be filched from him. Such a system is an incentive to thought, observation, and intelligent work, all of which ultimately reflects itself in the service given to the public. The public, too, are encouraged by the system to tako an intelligent interest in the working of the railways, which belong to them.