THE RAILWAYS.

Northern Advocate, 30 January 1922, Page 4

THE RAILWAYS.

Mr Massev's definite statement that Another cut will be made in the railway services has quickly stirred up feeling in some places. In vercargill, for instance, is protesting already against the possibility of the through service -from Christ church to that town being stopped. The southern people clamoured loud and long when the previous cut was announced, and the Government listened to them, with the result that its original programme of reduction Vw'S modified. That is probably one of the reasons why the reorganisation of the timetable has not effected .such savings as were hoped .for. Tho railways ure still losing money tit the rate of £4000 a day, which .means a deficit of more than one million and a quarter sterling in twelve months, and under present conditions it is not to be supposed that the country .can afford to spend money in that fashion. The railways are going from (bad to worse, and the remedy suggested by the Government. is (another reduction of services. Critics of the Railway Department and the Govermn'jnt sav that this

is a wrong policy to adopt, their argument being that the Department is simply driving away 'business, and eventually the railways will be stranded and other agcncies will ,be doing the country's transport work. If (t-he present loss on the railways were evenly distributed throughout the Dominion it might seem that the Department's first duty would be to encourage people to use the railways* by reducing freights and fares and running 'more trains. But (this is not the ease. The North Island lines are almost paying their way, but the loss in the South Island is heavy. There are some services in the North that are mot paying, among them the services in this district, which are handicapped beea.use of the incompleteness of the system. With the achievement of the connection with Auckland the North Auckland Main Trunk Kail way will be made a good business proposition; but until then the district .must be prepared to accept a partial service. The South Island seems to find it quite impossible to make the railway pay, : nd there can be no question but that the only remedy for the present loss is .another cut in the services. It is to ibe hoped that the Government will tackle this problem honestly and fairly. ..When the services were reduced last August political considerations were allowed to over-rule business principles. This should not happen again. Sections of the railways that cannot be made to pay should 'be treated in such a way as to reduce the loss as far as possible. By mearns of the proposed reduction of wages and alteration of hours and conditions a certain saving will be 'effected, but .more than this is necessary. Mr McVillv may have ideas that can be used to strengthen the finances of this great national undertaking, and he certainly should, be give# an opportunity to use tSeft'i. ■ He and the Department should bo set free of .political control, <md if the present jna.nage.ment cannot then make a success of the railway business a elr.u.ge should be .tried. The Government should .turn a deaf ear to the protests of 1 he various districts

once it is satisfied that the Railway Department knows how to set its house in order. There should be no in.oiili.cation of the curtailment programme for the sake of votes, evein though the general election is not very fur off. Honest courage is the best card that the Government can plav at the present time. If the railways will not .pay under present conditions the loss must be cut and the business reorganised without fear or favour.