RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 143, 15 June 1909, Page 5

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

FURTHER INTERVIEWS

Mr Farmar, interviewed this morning, said lie was almost afraid to say anything about the management. The greatest possible difficulty had been experienced during the past few months in getting the necessary trucks, and there was no doubt about the trade of the district being hampered materially in consequence. The shortage of trucks had led the management of the railway to insist upon the delivery of cargo for steamers within an unreasonably short space of time, with the result that merchants had not been able to supply a quarter of their orders. As far as the management was concerned, it was unfit for newspaper comment. That was caused by the management being conducted from Pieton. Blenheim provided the main food for the railway, and it seemed absurd that if the merchants wanted anything they should have to telephone to Pieton for it. The yarding was insufficient, and the rolling stock should be increased.'He had experienced incivility on the part of the subordinates. On one occasion one of the stationmaster's subordinates absolutely refused to take stuff into the store when it was dis^ covered that there were no trucks available in the yard._ That matter was, however, dealt with by the stationmaster when representation was made to him. A great deal of carelessness seemed to exist in the matter of taking weights, and lately he had had to draw the attention of the Department to the material discrepancies that had occurred, which, upon investigation, the management admitted. He considered that the cause of the whole thing was due to the, absence of trucks, and the stationmastor was conseqiiently to death, and there was no wonder that some of the officials lost their tempers. During the last week or two the strain had not been so great, and there had been no difficulty experienced in getting' the trucks needed. Mr Farmar certainly thought the management should be shifted to Blenheim, and more rolling stock provided, which he thought would get over the difficulty. During the time the rush was on and the difficulty in getting trucks was experienced the merchants were looked upon as being an infernal nuisance. Instead of an attempt being made to improve the facilities for those who were anxious to support the railway, quite the reverse had been experienced,

Mr Priddle, manager of Clouston and Co.'s. business, said he had not found any difficulty in getting trucks; there were always trucks available when they were wanted. He did not think the railway could be possibly run to" suit everybody any more than any other business could. He had no complaints to make since Mr Couch was appointed manager. He knew nothing about the details of working at the railway station, and those who came into direct contact with the officials would probably find things different.

Mr L. Clouston, who attends to Messrs Clouston and Co.'s shipping and trucking, when approached would not express an opinion. He said he had complained on one occasion to Mr Couch, but since then he had got all he wanted, and generally was' on good terms with the railway officials. Mr A. Huddlcston, shipping clerk at Levin and Co.'s, did not care to express his views, and suggested that the. manager should be approached. It was pointed out to him that the manager would not be cognisant of workings at the railway station with regard to trucking, and that he would be better able to. state what he had actually experienced. He would not, however, give his views one way or the other.

Mr Martin, carrier, said there was something wrong in the matter of freights, and pointed out that there were times when one traveller was charged more than another on his samples, and that much dissatisfaction existed in consequence. There were several things that required altering, and he thought the Department should be given a "shake up." . Mr Gosling generally endorsed the complaints as to the management, and mentioned one instance where he had received gross incivility from an official.

Mr 11. McArtncy, jun., who is attending to Messrs Corry and Co.'s shipping, said the present arrangements were unsatisfactory, and that when the Department made a blunder it would never admit it, and generally the officials endeavoured to place the blame on those who were trucking the goods. Mr E. Parker explained this morning that he did not mean his remarks published in .yesterday's issue to include th© whole of the officials at the railway station, but stated that" he would be prepared to say to whom he referred at the proper time. Mr Lambie, of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., informed an Express reporter this morning that he had not experienced any incivility from the officials at the railway station. He agreed that there should be a shunting engine stationed at Blenheim so that the trucks could be got at conveniently. Another matter that should be remedied was that when a merchant went and asked for three trucks he was often told that they were not available, and that the officials did not know when they wouldbe. He thought that some person should be appointed to look after the trucks, and to see that they were not left at any stations along the line. If that were done a great deal of the inconvenience that had been experienced from time to time would be done away with.