NATIONAL TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6669, 24 July 1928, Page 3

NATIONAL TRANSPORT PROBLEMS

Address in Feilding BY CONTROLLER OF N.Z. RAILWAYS National transport problems "were dealt with in an interesting address delivered by Mr. H. H. Sterling, general manager of the New Zealand .Railways, at. Feilding last night, to a large audience called together at the joint invitation of the Workers’ Education Association and Chamber of Commerce. Mr. P. Desmond, president of the Chamber, presided, and was supported by the Mayor, Mr. B. Bair. Briefly returning thanks to the W.E.A. and the Chamber of Commerce for the invitation to visit Feilding, Mr. Sterling said that the success of the railway system was wrapt up in a better understanding between such organisations and the officers of «tho Railway Department. Grasping the other man’s point of view, claimed the speaker, was the aim of the management of the Government Railways to-day in its desire to give the fullest service do- i sired. He recognised that it was through the W.E.A. and Chambers of Commerce that opinions were given expression which often paved the way for the introduction of improvements in- the service, and he could assure those present that it was his sincere aim to endeavour .to solve, for the benefit of the community as a whole, some of our national transport problems. From tracing the birth of transport in pro-his-toric . times, to the dawn of wheeled vehicles, Mr. Sterling proceeded to stress the rise in efficiency of the railway engine and to assert that the "whole social and domestic development of the world had been wrapt up 'in the evolution of transport. Dealing with railway development in New Zealand, the speaker recalled the opening of the first line in the South Island, and the rapid settlement which followed.. Develop' ment and mileage of lines was rapid until to-day New Zealand could claim a measure of efficiency in railway running, having regard to all the special circumstances obtaining in New Zealand, second to none in the world and the speaker’s intimate knowledge of the organisation gave him every confidence in the ability of the service to give 100 per cent, efficiency. Dealing with the development in passenger carriages, the speaker referred to the willingness with which the Depatment had met the demands of the public for transport comfort without in any way increasing the cost to the travelling public. When comparing accounts, this feature of the service was overlooked, but an investigation of the facts would show that the Department had managed most economically. In safety devices New Zealand was well to the fore, notwithstanding the multiplicity of level crossings. Public opinion Without thought often blamed the railways for level. crossing accidents, but only a moment’s consideration was necessary ■ to decide who was to blame. It was considerably easier for a motor-car or itrap to stop at a crossing than it was to stop a train at every.crossing. The Department was not at all callous—it realised its responsibility in the matter and as finance permitted steps were being taken to eliminate the more dangerous crossing. Touching on the question raised by the W.E.A. regarding railways being State-owned or privatelyowned, the speaker said that what had to bo considered was whether the railways were to be run as a service to the community or for profit-making. There was nothing inherent in State-owned management that made the railways inferior to private ownership. Dealing with road competition, Mr. Sterling said that the position was not peculiar to New Zealand, but it was new to our social and economic life, and a feature of transport evolution which did not i commend itself for hasty solution. The . motors had a definite place in the trans- j port service of the country, and the , Railway Department, where economic- , ally sound, had co-ordinated with the ; object of increasing the service. In con- j sidering the motor , traffic, the speaker r asserted that the matter of freight the ■ cream was being taken by the motors. The cream comprised the higher charged ■ freight, and if the motors continued to ■ take this business from the railways ■ then the inevitable result would be that 1 charges on other freight would have to . be increased. Ho emphasised that the motors would not touch coal, timber, metal, and fertilisers, and it would be on such lines of freight as these that charges would have to be increased to make up,- loss on decreased tonnage in the higher priced freight. As to the suggestion of a classification of freight on a common rate, the speaker gave adc- ( quato reasons for the impossibility of meeting such a proposal. Altogether a Wrong impression prevailed as to the subsidy paid by the Government to the railways to meet the deficiency on unpayable lines. Some people thought the payment was something for nothing. That was wrong. The railways were not. getting what they should and the . subsidy was simply made to make up • what the public should have paid to make the unpayable lines pay. Replying to the oft-repeated question as to why the railways arc not made to pay, the speaker asked his audience to ; remember that the railways were a service and not a profit-making institution. If considered-as a service institution

then it would readily be appreciated that they were a paying concern. Illustrating this point the speaker referred to the Government reducing the rates on fertilisers, which, in point of revenue, meant to-the railways a loss of about £IOO,OOO. But was it a loss? That reduction in‘freight charges was made with the idea of cheapening fertilisers to tho user and by cheapening them, creating a greater and more general use. In this was wrapt up increased production. So that' while the Department lost on the carriage of fertilisers round about £IOO,OOO, the coun-

try gained hundreds of thousands in increased production. As a service institution the railways were undoubtedly paying. After answering a number of questions, the speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks on the motion of the Mayor and Mr. A. H. Humphreys for his interesting address.