THE RAILWAYS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 23 June 1923, Page 7

THE RAILWAYS.

PROGRESSIVE POLICY

(BT lELEGRAPIT —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON. June 22. The Hon. J. O. Coates, who< has just taken the portfolio of railways, reiier- ' red in the House to-day to a statement in a city newspaper to-day to. the effect that he had a progressive policy up his sleeve. It was somewhat over the mark, he said, that a statement of this kind should be made when he had only been Minister for Railways a few minutes and had not had time to get fully acquainted with the work and needs df the Department. All that had occurred was that a deputation had asked h:"m to agree to the establishment of week-end tickets during, the summer months over certain lines in Otago ■to enable them to visit Queenstown, and he had replied that whatever was done there would have to be done in ev«ry other tourist district in New Zealand. The Minister added that when he studied the affairs of his new Department he hoped he would be able to do something that might deserve the term progressive.