MINISTER OF RAILWAY'S ANSWER.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 14 May 1912, Page 8

MINISTER OF RAILWAY'S ANSWER.

BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ABBOCIATION.

CHRISTCHURCH, May 13

A deputation from representatives of -shipowners waited on Mr A. M. MyerSj Minister of Railways, on Saturday, to complain re shortage of trucks at Lyttelton, and the consequent delay in getting shipk unloaded. The Minister, m reply, said that it was rather painful for him to listen to what had been said. He fully sympathised with the speakers. He for one would not be a party to any policy which produced such apparently unsatisfactory results as were disclosed. It was quite apparent to him that the difficulty would have to be rectified. The deputation were there as serious business men, intent on pushing their busness, and the Railway Department, on their part, had a duty to perform to see that business was expedited as much as possible. It was quite apparent to him that, owing to the growing traffic, the railway facilities would, have to be impiwed, so far as Lyttelton was concerned. It was iutended to appoint two traffic superintendents —one for the North Island and one for the South Island. That would be done very shortly, and one of the first duties of the South Island superintendent would be to make an exhaustive report as to the position of affairs at Lyttelton, for' it was quite clear that the present position was an untenable one from both, points of view—the shipowners' and the Department's. He had already mentioned a programme for building extra trucks, but, if the number originally fixed should have to be doubled or trebled, he was prepared to make a recommendation to that effect. •If anything, he wanted to be a little ahead of the traffic with rolling stock, not behnd it.