RAILWAYS MANAGEMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18707, 13 May 1924, Page 8

RAILWAYS MANAGEMENT

Some indication was given in a cable message yesterday of the character of the investigation to which the management of the New South Wales railways is to be submitted. Briefly, the Government desires to obtain expert judgment upon all commercial and technical aspects of the system. With this object, it has engaged the services of two expert railway ■ administrators from England, Sir Sam Fay, manager of the Great Central Railway, and Sir Vincent Raven, chief mechanical engineer; of the North-eastern Railway Company. The decision to seek the advice of external authorities on railway : management was announced toward the end of last year, but they were unable to proceed immediately with the commission. There will always be a similar difficulty in obtaining the advice of men who are both qualified' and free to make a critical examination of railway administration. A similarly comprehensive investigation of the New Zealand railways has been promised by the Government, and the delay in; the announcement of the pro- i posed ' commission suggests that there has been difficulty in discovering a personnel with sufficient knowledge and experience, outside the ; department's officers -k: Its ' task would include but extend beyond the question of wages, which the employees proposed should be referred to a board of business men. These might, by , the. application of commercial tests, discover defects in the administration, but ,' they would naturally hesitate to recommend technical remedies. The presence in Australia of two recognised railway authorities suggests a solution of the difficulty. If Sir Sam Fay and Sir Vincent Raven would i accept the further task of investigating thei New Zealand railways, if necessary with the assistance of local commissioners in regard to such domestic questions as wages, advice would!be obtained tha'; should be of the greatest value. To the publiCj the department and its employees, and the Government, the opportunity of consulting two experts of such authority should appear too advantageous to be neglected.