SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1924. RAILWAY COMMISSION’S REPORT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 December 1924, Page 4

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1924. RAILWAY COMMISSION’S REPORT.

Th« report of the Royal Commission which enquired into the New Zealand Railways is a document of great value to the country, and it is encouraging to find that the Government does not intend that it shall suffer the fate of' some reports that have b°en made by Royal Commissions. The official statement by the Minister of Railways (the Hon. J) G. Coates) shows that Cabinet is favourable towards the recommendations generally, and a move to give effect to the more important has already been made, while the Minister promises that early in the new; year other portions of the report will be gone into thoroughly with-the idea of giving effect to them. As was to be expected, Sir Sam Fay and Sir Vincent Raven Ijave expressed themselves frankly in their report, and in many places praise for the good work done by the Department in the past is to be found, but where, under the, present system, weaknesses are. found the Commissioners have not failed to state them and to give, their reasons, and also make recommendations which they consider will lead to the needed improvements. The travelling public will welcome the recommendations for overhauling the. time-tables, excursion fares, fewer mixed trains and faster services; and the, Government will welcome the recommendations for saving expense upon the operation of the system; while the Commission’s recommendations regarding finance and ; a reserve fund will no doubt meet with general approval. The Minister is naturally pleased to find that the Commissioners’ views coincide with liis own on a number of important questions concerning railway control and management, and he will no doubt be keen that effect should be given to them. After reading: the report one sees clearly the New Zealand railways are a most valuable asset, containing great possibilities, and that the experts have gone very thoroughly into the numerous questions with which they were required to deal and have given answers of great practical value.' It may not. be possible to .undertake all the alterations arid improvements outlined by the Commissioners, but it should be possible to give effect to the most important with a minimum of delay and so improve the service that it will speedily become more it has been for years past, and recover some of the traffic which lias been lost through the unpopularity due to various causes, many of which the Com-' mission’s report show’s can and should be removed. We do not think that the Commissioners’ intention in the report is to cast any reflection upon those who, in the past, have had the difficult'task of organising and controlling the system, but rather does it appear that the time has come when the old order must give place to the and when it is in the country’s interest to enter, upon a more progressive and up-to-date policy. •Such, stages in the development of a young country are bound to be reached f lOlll time to time, and the Government, in realising this with regard to the railways, has done the right thing in having the experts’- report made. The next tiling to do is to put the recommendations into effect as far as possible, and this, as Mr Coates’ comments show, is the Government ’s intention.