OUR RAILWAYS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 1 October 1927, Page 6

OUR RAILWAYS

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE MEMBERS GENERALLY PRAISE THE SERVICE. ESTIMATES AGREED TO. Wellington, Sept. 30. After the disposal of formal business this afternoon, the House of Representatives proceeded to discuss the Railway Statement, prior to discussing the Railway Estimates. Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) urged that before the great expense of electrifying the Lyttelton tunftel was undertaken, electric storage battery cars should be tried on that line. One of these cars had been running in New Zealand for the past two or three years and had proved exceedingly popular. Such cars had proved themselves thoroughly reliable in other countries. He claimed that the railway between Gisborne and Napier should be completed, so as to permit of the running of night trains to Wellington. He deprecated the Napier-Gisborne line being run along the coast instead of via the inland route, which would open up a large area of country. Mr J. McCombs (Lyttelton) said it seemed to him the Government was committed to the electrification of the Lyttelton tunnel, and rightly so. There would be difficulty in using Deisel oil engines through the tunnel, as was advocated by a small section in Christ church. AN EXCELLENT STATEMENT. Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill) con sidered the Railways Statement to he an excellent one, although he did not agree with all it contained. He waopposed to the view expressed by Mr Lysnar regarding the use of storage battery cars. Electrification was the right way. He believed the right thing should be done by motor proprietors in considering how to deal with competition, and a reasonable amount should be provided for compensation. The fact that 1,500.000 less people had been carried on the railways last year made the ordinary man think. He thought that the percentage of earning? to working expenses had been very wonderful, and that the net earning to the capital invested was as much a? they could expect. It would be no re flection on the management if a sinking fund were established to wipe out losses on branch He was pleased to see a number of innovations outlined in the Statement, particularly the reinstatement of dining cars on trains.

Mr H. L. Tapley (Dunedin North/ complained that travelling facilities in the South Island are not as luxurious as they are in the North Island. Business men in the south were of just a? much importance as in the north, yet they had no night trains in the South Island to facilitate the transaction of business, as in the north. Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt), said the Railway Board had laid down its policy, but had not carried it out, because it had not as yet had time to do so. He strongly urged the general electrification of the railways, which could be done as well and as cheaply a. in many European countries. Mr J. S. Dickson (Parnell) said he saw little on the Australian railwaythat was an improvement on our rail ways. The exception, however, wa the electric railway in and around Mel bourne. The handling of the traffic op Melbourne Cup day was a revelation He suggested the electrification of sub urban lines round about Auckland. Mr M. J. Savage (Auckland West) said the Government loved reports and commissions to report, which were never given effect to. If anyone wanted anything done, all they got was an amendment of the law. It was difficult to get the Railway Department to d( anything and one had to live almost 9 life-time before one could see any re form carried out. Motor bus service}should be started in all growing districts and the department should not wait private people start such services and then have to buy them out. SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED. The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiapoi) considered -the sum paid out by the department to members of the staff for “suggestions” and originality should be encouraged more generously. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon) said the Government would undoubtedly have to go more largely into the motor business and get right out after road traffic. He urged the more general adoption of smokeless fuel, if it Could be produced at a payable price. Mr. G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) said that as yet no storage battery vehicle* had been devised which was thoroughly reliable in all circumstances. When that was obtained they would be able seriously to challenge motor traffic. He believed that what had been done to secure a more economical and efficient railway service than in the past, and better control of the disposition of rolling stock should produce added revenue. He commended the dissociation of passenger and goods trains, which meant that the department would be better able to compete With road motor passenger traffic. The discussion was continued by Mr J. Horn (Wakatipu) and Mr W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei). The latter urged that the loading of live stock, from which a considerable portion of the revenue was derived, might be done at night. This would be econoimcal and conducive to landing stock in better order at the freezing works. He complimented the management and staff on what was being done to try to place the railways on a sound business footing. Mr Glenn thought it was time a halt was called in the annual contribution to the superannuation fund, which wa? growing to an unwieldy size. Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East) asked if the Government had acquired the land for the site for the railway station in the city of Auckland in connection with the northern outlet. Mr. G. R. Sykes (Masterton) mentioned the need for a railway deviation to the Wairarapa, contending that the construction of a new tunnel through the Rimutaka range would be one of the most paying propositions within the range of the department's aetivi ties. COMMERCIAL STAFF CONGRATULATED. Mr H. G. Dickie (Patea) congratulated the cot nercial staff on the success of thei efforts in the matter of the carriage o. wool, having regained 90 per cent, of this traffic for the railways. This was good business for the farmers, as their roads were thus rfe-

lieved from the wear and tear of considerable heavy traffic involved in the carragei of wool by motor vehicles. Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Opposition) hoped that the railway timetables under daylight saving would be arranged so that public convenience would be conserved. He criticised the method of showing the subsidy to non-paying lines as revenue, instead of acknowledging the shortage over the whole railways frankly as a loss. The railways’ should be made to serve the the people’s needs, especially by enabling products to be brought to economic markets. The Government should have done very much more than it had in research, covering coal, which existed in all qualities in New Zealand and could supply all the Dominion’s needs. Though 70 per cent, of the coal used on the railways was New Zealand product, 500,000 tons was still imported annually, involving an expenditure of £600,000. That should go into the Dominion miners’ pockets. PREMIER’S REPLY. The debate was carried on by Sir John Luke, Messrs. J. R. Hamilton, H. H. Field, C. E. Bellringer, H. T. Armstrong, T. Forsyth, A. Harris, R. McKeen, H. G. R. Mason, and H. Atmore, when the Prime Minister began his reply, in the course of which he defended the system of accounts now practiced by the Railway Department, which, he contended, disclosed with greater clarity than ever before the true position of the department as a commercial concern. The House then went into committee of supply to consider the Railway Estimates, of £6,571,945. In reply to questions, the Prime Minister said the department would do all in its power to meet the requirements of farmers and settlers arising out of the introduction of summer time. The vote was then agreed to, and the House rose at 1.10 a.m. till 7.30 p.m. on Monday. This was the result of an unexpected motion by the Prime Minister, who declared that the Government was anxious to get the Estimates through. On a division his motion was carried by 34 to 11.