RAILWAY REFORM.

Free Lance, Volume XIV, Issue 686, 23 August 1913, Page 7

RAILWAY REFORM.

Why tile Public is Interested in Mr. Hiley. Mil. Hiley, who is to be General Manager of New Zealand Railways, and to administer those railways on the best modern lines Bo far as political circumstances and considera-

tions will permit—the great Mr. Hiley will be here very soon. The country expects much from him. He is to be a vindicator of the "Reform" policy. He is to prove that the Government did well when it ignored the admirable record of its best railway servants and decided to import a youngish Englishman to override them. If Mr. Hiley succeeds in doing all this, his merit will be proved beyond all reasonable cavil.

First of all, Mr.-.Hiley shall show us how to speed-up oui: express services, while still meeting 'the fair demands of the rural districts. This is a big matter. The commercial community is sick of the trains that saunter and crawl; but the small provincial towns do not want to be put back into the wilderness. There, then, is Mr. Hiley's chance number one.. As chance number two. we may take a small matter. Mr. Hiley may show us. how to make our refreshment car service more effective. Under the present system everybody is called at once; with the result that while a third of the hungry find accommodation, two-thirds stand about and feel sore. To the master-mind of Mr. Hiley, it will at once appear that when all the passengers cannot dine at once, intelligent method would arrange for. them to dine in ordered batches. There are many other points at which Mr. Hiley's exceptionally brilliant intelligence in railway matters will prove itself but these will do, by way of suggestion, to go on with.