THE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXI, Issue 239, 12 October 1896, Page 4

THE GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS.

♦ — ■ Of the various members of the present Government the Hon. Mr Cadman, the Minister for Eailways, is the least m evidence so far as the general public is concerned, rarely speaking m the House unless matters connected with his own department are on the tapis, and then always m the most laudable absence . of that self-consciousness which is so lamentably indurable m his colleagues. Mr Cadman is par excellence a worker, and those who know him personally bear testimony to the painstaking, thoroughly honest wav m which he acquits himself oi his duties. Essentially a practical man, and free from all posing, all pretence at being a Heaven bom political genius, he has gone steadily on his way ever since he took up hie present portfolio with the expressed intention of making the Kailway* Department one of the most economically and satisfactorily managed m the public service. And he hae achieved a success which, does him the highest credit, a success foi ■which he is given every credit bj members on both sides of the House, Captain Eussell, we notice, tooi occasion on Thursday night to pay the Minister a very high compliment upon the excellence of the work done by Mr Cadman since he assumed charge of the Government railways ; and coming from the Leader of the Opposition, the compliment was as graceful as it was well deserved. We must admit thai we were strongly opposed to the abolition of the control of the railways by the Commissioners, and even now we fear that were Mi Cadman to hand over the portfolio to someone not so industrious, so painstaking, and above all, so determined not to be interfered with by his colleagues, as we believe him to be, the administration of the de-

partment would not be what it is at the present time. But we do Mr Cadman the credit of saying that we believe his management has proved a great improvement on that of the Commissioners, and we trust he may long continue to stand at the helm, for no better commander could be found. The full details of his scheme for the classification of the officers and employes of the great department of which he is the head, we have not yet had/before us, but from the favorable comments passed upon the Bill by Captain Russell, Sir Robert Stout, and others, generally opposed to the Government's proposals, we can be fairly certain that the scheme is thoroughly workable, and it is calculated to raise the efficiency of the service and to encourage the staff to the best endeavours. It would be well were all the various departments under ministerial control so efficiently controlled as that under Mr Cadman' s charge. The Minister of Railways is not a talker, but a worker — we would that we could say the same of his colleagues.