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Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1931, Page 4

The Government originally proposed that the railway system should he managed by a Board of three men, ol whom the chairman was to give his whole time to th c task. An amendment provide*; for a Board of five, none of whom will be a whole-time official That is to say, the Board will he a

directorate resembling the controlling bodies of English privately-owned railways. Presumably, says the Auckland r. it was largely the difficulty ol finding a suitable man for chairman under the original proposal that induced Mr Forbes to make this alteration. The chairman wa tj to receive £ISOO a year, now reduced to £PH)I). If a really capable man is found. £IO3O or £ISOO is nothing; if a mediocre man is appointed there is no justification for the change in management.. Even under the amended status it may be difficult to fill the Board with the right kind of directors. The ablest men are very busy with their own affairs; besides, they may not care to shoulder the management of a hnminess that financially is going down-hill, and for which it is not proposed to give them full responsibility. One can foresee, also, tho possibility of some inconvenience in getting directors together for t!ie frequent meetings of the Board. If tin' meetings are not freqeiui.t, then the rcsnor*iil)ility ol the General Manager will be ilie greater. However, the community should wish the new Board well, and at the same time it should insist on doubts about construction policy being removed fis quckly as pos. sible. It is nothing loss than a tragic farce, points out the Auckland paper, that at the time when the Government is so hard pressed for money final decision about, the South Island Main Trunk completion should be delayed, but then of course, we may add, there are two sides to the question and both have been freely ventilated, and the upshot was to encourage the Ward Government to have the work authorised.