RAILWAYS BILL READING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 100, 8 April 1936, Page 7

RAILWAYS BILL READING

Attacks on Board NO WICKEDNESS Criticism of Principle, Not Persons TRANSPORT SERVICE By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, April 7. In the House of Representatives this evening the second reading debate on the Government Railways Amendment Bill was resumed. Mr W. P. Endean (Nat.) considered that the ministerial attacks on two members of the board were unfair. They conveyed the impression that the deputychairman, in his dual capacity, was not acting fairly, but in reply to the speaker’s direct questions, Mr Semple admitted that he was not making an accusation of wickedness.

Mr Endean said he know Sir James Gunson’s character was above reproach. The board must have been responsible for many improvements under Mr Sterling’s chairmanship. Mr Endean suggested that Mr Sterling’s knowledge and ability should 'Still be utilised for the department’s benefit. It was one of the curses of New Zealand that it had a huge publie debt of £284,000,000, and that was the fault of democracy, that the people in charge could not stand up to the demands of those concerned only with locality, not with national, interest.

MINISTER WOULD BE SORRY. Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Nat.) said the question was: Shall the Railways be under political control, or shall they be depoliticalised? He thought the Minister, in days to come, would be sorry he brought that legislation before the House. Mr Broadfoot commended the department for improvements that had been effected in recent years. In days gone by members of Parliament were practically labour bureaux, and were eager to find positions for their constituents. He considered that before the South Island Main Trunk and Gisborne-Napier railway lines were proceeded with the full facts and figures should be placed before the House. The Hon. R. Semple: We will give you the facts all right. Mr Broadwood asked what assurance the Minister Fad that he would get all tho traffic on that line. As Minister of Transport and Minister of Public Works he held conflicting offices, and was in a difficult position. Mr Broadfoot said the Government seemed, to have a great aversion to anything in the nature of boards, but the Minister of Railways was setting up a tribunal behind which he could shelter instead of facing up to the troubles that would arise. The tri; bunal would act as a buffer between the Minister and the men. Mr D. McDougall (Ind.) thought the railways had not been well managed, and considered the Minister was doing the right thing in getting rid of the board. He was informed by engine drivers and others that the rolling stock was not kept in good repair. He considered there should be no first and second-class carriages in a democratic country, and advocated one class only, equal to the present first-class. Mr A. Hamilton (Nat.) said that everything was being brought back into politics, and it was that which would break democracy down. Mr W. J. Jordan (Govt.): The Government is going to govern. Mr Hamilton: Yes, the Government is going to govern and Parliament will have no say.

TEST IN A FEW YEARS. The next few years would provide the test. Parliament, he said, was there to administer the law and order, defence, and so on, and not so much to administer as many businesses as possible. He thought the railways were well run, and there was a wonderful feeling in the railways to-day. Mr Hamilton contended that the Minister, in his speech, used the rake too much.

The Hon. D. G. Sullivan: I will give you some facts in a minute. Mr Hamilton said that the Minister. s speech, when he made attacks on public men, was on a lower plane than usual. Mr Sullivan: You want me to suppress facts, and I will not do so. Mr Hamilton: It is better to attack tho principle than the person. He contended that the board system had much to justify it, and thought the cry for its abolition was an unwise one. Mr Hamilton said tho Government would have to go a little steady in pulling everything back under political or Government control; tho Government, otherwise, would have a weight to carry that would break it down. Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Nat.) protested against the attacks that were made against Mr Sterling while ho was absent from the country. Commercial principles had been introduced into the railways in the last four years. A BETTER SERVICE. Mr J. A. Roy (Nat.) said that the service of the Railways Department in the last few years had been out of all comparison to the service received before that. To-dajr tho department met customers and went out of the way to secure business. That had been responsible for the return of much traffic to the railways. He said there was growing up a more mobile form of transport which was damaging the railway returns. Mr Semple: A Government that can