DOMINION RAILWAYS.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13975, 8 September 1917, Page 6

DOMINION RAILWAYS.

DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENT,. . f Severe criticism levelled.

(Per. Press', Association). , / . WELLINGTON, September 7. . In the House ' this afternoon, ClaiS . IV railways £2,9-13,500) of the Estimates was taken., t ' ; Mr Veitch criticised the general manager's connection with the Defence Department, contending that the Min- \ i ister shouh! secure his release irom duties at the,camps, to enable him to give up the wlio.le of his time to the management .of tho railways. • The discussion was proceeding when the House rose at 5.30 p.m. On the House resuming the'discus- , sion on the railway estimates was con- ( tinned by Dr T.hacker who attacked the management by the general man-

agor. -Mr Wright defended'Mr Hilcy, contending that the members had no right ■; to attack him when lie was unable to '■ defend himself. , 5 Mr J. T. M. Hornsby pointed out there was great discontent in the railway service, and unless the present methods of subordinate officers ceasod, the suit 5 must be disastrous to tho as many of the best men wero and, others contemplating doing That exodus m.ust be stopped by re- A' formed nianagement, ' * Mr McCallnm demanded to know what time Mr Hilcy was giving to tho Defence Department. Ho contended 1 that tlie Department should pay for that. ■ service. ,' ■ . . " ,

The Hon, W. Hemes explained tlidt " Mr Hiley was imported not only for tha Railway Department, but for the good' of the Dominion generally, and it would have been a most improper thing '■ to have refused to give the benefit of his expert knowledge to the Defence Department, ,when asked for; for that Department more than'any other woiilil assist them to win the war. He denied 'that the railways had suffered, as this had been'a record year, The railway's had made the profits they had nevfcr made before and no railways in Australasia 'could show such progress since the war began such as the New Zealand railways had made. Members ought to be proud of the way in which the railways had been managed.. For they were a great examplo of State control, He'' admitted there was discontent in> the'' ■ service, and it was giving him and'the. general manager great anxiety.; He would regret very much if such a fine' body of men as were in the service, were disbanded, but it was largely a matter of finance, hut that matter' wad not entirely in his hands. High wage's , were being paid by other employers. This could not go on for ever, and after the war he thought most of tli9 men would come back. A' good deal had been, done iu the direction of increasing the men's and what were;called pin-pricks ou the men were JdedVeasing, as the fines this year averaged sixpence per;man against lid per ma,n last.year, JIo justified the'eutting down of> suburban "(rains oil' tfi6'|Vdiind of assisting the Defence .Department, Men were called up.in the ballot, and if taken away thy services must' be reduced, About 6000 men had gone to the front already. This was a line record which lie wasi not to break iu cutting down tho 'trains, nor could the maintenance of the staff be reduced as the lines must be kept safe, no matter how many or few trains wera run. • The Traffic Department, then, lwas the only one out of which- they could get a cut. The policy was to bring the suburbanites into work, and they could not, provide for an abnormal nuinber of people. If the House decided tiio railwayinen were not Jo be tliken for military service, he was prepared to reinstate them and resume the suburban services, hut that was a matter for the House. The question of supplies (particularly coal) was also an important factor in running trains, and the need for economy was still great.

Discussion proceeded only on the subject, of suburban trains (which' the Minister refused to reinstate), until 11.45, when Mr Wilford sought to bring the position to a head by. moving a reduction in the Estimates of £1 as an indication that the timo had come when trains should run in the suburban areas on Friday night. The amendment was lost by 24 votes to 12.

Mr Wilford then moved to report progress on tho ground that the subject was too large to be dealt with at ono sitting. ' 1 The amendment "was lost on tlw voices.* .The vote was passed and progress n ported, The House rose at 12.4 a.m.