CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18895, 18 December 1924, Page 10

CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.

DECENTRALISATION POLICY.

MR. MASON JOINS BOARD.

MINISTER RETAINS POWERS.

TWO ISLAND SUPERINTENDENTS.

[BY TELZGEAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday.

Further steps in tho reorganisation of the Railway Department were announced by the Minister for Railways, Hon. J. G. Coates, this evening. He explained that the formation of a board of management will not result in any departure from the principle contained in the Government Railways Act, which places the control of the Railways Department entirely in tho hands of the Minister. In the meantime the board's powers will bo similar to those held by the general manager and his assistants, but the results aimed at are decentralisation and delegation of responsibilities arid duties. "Briefly, tho management of the department is now vested in a board of three members instead of being entirely in the hands of one general manager, said Mr. Coates. "All the correspondence dealing with tho details of the department's activities in the various districts will bo dealt with by other controlling officers. "Mr. James Mason, who has held the position of first assistant general manager since last January, has been selected to fill one of the two remaining positions on the board. No decision has yet been reached with regard to the third position, but arrangements have been made to carry on temporarily by the appointment of an acting-member.

"It has also been decided as part of the general decentralisation scheme, to appoint two general superintendents, one for the North Island and one for the South Island, responsible directly to the board for operating commercial matters and maintenance within each island. Officers to fill these positions will bo selected in tho course cf a few days.

"My object in giving effect to these changes now is to enable the complete reorganisation to be working smoothly and to be brought into operation as from the commencement of tho financial year on April 1 next. So far as the report of the commission is concerned, although I have had definite proposals in regard to many of the recommendations for some time, I do not propose to make a full statement of the policy with regard to any of the matters until such time as the complete report is released for publication."

Mr. James Mason joined the Railway i Department in 1889 and for a number of | years was occupied in various phases of the department's activity in country and cenj tral appointments, including the district | manager's office in Auckland. During the j war he was assistant director of recruiting. 1 He performed various duties in the head office in Wellington and was for some j time engaged in connection with railway | appeal work. When the position of com- ! mercial agent wa-, created in 1922, he ! was appointed for the North Island. On j January 1 last le was appointed first j assistant general manager.