JOINT CONTROL

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 December 1924, Page 5

JOINT CONTROL

DOMINION RAILWAY SYSTEM. NEW SCHEME ADOPTED. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Special to the Star.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 15. Telegraphing before the Minister’s official announcement was made, tlie Star’s Wellington reporter states: Though the Minister of Railways refused to confirm the report of the resignation -of Mr MeVilly as General Manager, and that officer himself declines to discuss it, there are corroborative details enabling this important decision to be taken for granted.- There is a big stir in railway administrative circles, and officers are wondering how far the Minister of Railways will go in his active efforts to make the Department up to date. It is contended by experienced railway-men that a cautious policy is tlie best in the long run with a department involving more technical matters than any other branch of the Government service. What makes matters more difficult for the smooth introduction of innovations is that tlie head of. nearly, every branch has not long held office, the chief mechanical engineer being at present acting temporarily in that position. RAILWAY COMMISSION’S REPORT. It is not thought that the step taken by Mr MeVilly has any relation to the contents of the Railway. Commission’s report. This document is circulating among Ministers and will be considered by Cabinet before being published. The Government’s decisions on the Commissioner’s recommendations will be made known simultaneously with the publication of the report. It is suggested that the Commissioners favour a complete change in the method of railway management so as. to eliminate any vestige of political control. One report is to the effect that while the Government will refuse to allow Parliament to lose control of the railways, it would favour the establishment of a Board of Management, consisting of three members. It is stated that the chairman of the board will be located in Wellington, but that each of the other two members will be stationed in' the North' and South Island respectively, the idea being that the railway systems in each island should be run as separate concerns from the point of view of earning power, in order to avoid North Island profits having to be balanced against South Island losses. This will not be the adoption of the Commissioner’s control system in its entirely, as it is considered likely that the policy of keeping the responsibility for the administration of the railways in the hands of a Minister of the Crown will be adhered to. Although official confirmation is lacking there is expectation in railway circles that Mr F. J, Jones, chief engineer of the Railway Department, will be appointed chairman of the Board of Management when it is set up, or will at any rate suceeed Mr MeVilly as chief officer of the Department. Mr MeVilly is the best known man in- the railway service, and as he dealt with all staff matters during Mr Hiley’s term of office he was more or less regarded as chief during that time by the men. of the service. He has been in the service for the whole of his working life, and has worked prodigiously hard for liis employers, the Government of New Zealand. He has had no easy path to his present high position, for he had to work through all the grades until he became chief clerk under Mr T. Ronayne, who was manager before Mr Hiley was appointed. When Mr-Hiley arrived he found that Mr MeVilly was in effect assistant General Manager, and told the Government this, recommending at the same time that he be given the rank and tlie pay. The Government accepted the advice, and for a number of years Mr MeVilly had the title of Assistant General Manager. Subsequently on Mr Hiley’s retirement Mr MeVilly was appointed General Manager. He is entitled to retire on a superannuation allowance which will approximate £2OOO per annum. (BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Dec. 15. * Tlie Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister for Railways), when seen to-day concerning the reorganisation of the management of the New Zealand railways, stated that he had come to the conclusion some time ago that, on the retirement of Mr R. W. MeVilly (General Manager of Railways), a board of management consisting of three would provide the most satisfactory form of management to cope with existing railway problems. This step, however, was held in abeyance owing to the decision of the Government to invite Sir Sam Fay and Sir Vincent Raven to investigate the system. Naturally the question of management was one that occupied a prominent place in their order of reference. “The question of Mr MeVilly’s retirement,” continued Mr Coates, “was deferred at my request until the completion of the Commissioners’ report. This has now been received by the Government, and Mr MeVilly’s active association with the Department terminated on Friday last. “Although full details of the report are not yet available for publication, I think it desirable to say that the Commission had concurred in the proposal to constitute a railway board, consisting of three trained railwaymen, capable of bringing the New Zealand railways up to the average world standard of cheap and efficient transport. The matter was referred to Cabinet, which decided to accept Mr McVilly’s resignation and form a board on the lines originally proposed by me. “So far only one appointment to the board has been made —that of Mr J. Jones, who lias been appointed chairman. Mr Jones lias held the position of chief engineer since the retirement of Mr McLean, and will carry on in his new capacity as head of the Department, pending the appointment of the two remaining members. I expect to make further statements in this connection in the course of a day or two.”