RAILWAYS CORPORATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19488, 18 November 1926, Page 14

RAILWAYS CORPORATION.

AUCKLAND ADVISORY BOARD. CALLING OF A CONFERENCE. The proposal to form a district, railway advisory board in Auckland, as suggested by the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, was advanced a further stage yesterday, when a conference took place between Messrs. F. A. Hellaby, H. W. Hudson and E. P. Neale, representing the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and Messrs. J. G. Rickerby and A. W. Wellsted, representing the Railway Department. The conference exhaustively considered the proposal and arrangements were concluded to call a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce in about a fortnight of representatives of bodies interested, such as country chambers of commerce, progress associations and local bodies, as well as farmers' unions, dairy associations, industrial associations and similar interests. A tentative constitution for, the proposed board has been drawn up by the department, and it is'anticipated that the main executive functions will be relegated to a small committee reporting to the full board at regular intervals, The functions of the proposed board are fairly 'wide' and ineludeEstimating and forecasting the probable demand for waggons for seasonal or fluctuating traffic; regulating despatch of consignments to stores and ships in order to avoid congestion' and 'the holding* up of Waggons that should be available for traders; speeding up loading , and unloading and obtaining maximum loading of clearance of inward goods from railway sheds; arranging preference to specially urgent traffic; despatch of goods to railway sheds during the day to avoid congestion at the close of the day; organis ing and regulating despatch of livesto&k, farm produce and farmers' requisites; coordinating the department's efforts with the requirements of the user, and so eliminating misunderstandings; and generally .to assist transportation by co-op-erative organisation tending toward the general welfare of both the department and its, clients.