CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20623, 23 July 1930, Page 14

CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.

FREEDOM FROM POLITICS.

DESIRES OF BUSINESS MEN.

[BY TKLECIUPH.— OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] T\ ELLINGTON, Tuesday.

The .suggestion that tho railways should be divorced from political control and interference, and placed under a commission or board of directors, was contained in a letter which has been forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Hon. U. W. Forbes, by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

At a meeting of the Wellington Chamber this evening it was dccide'd to urge that the question bo included in tho order of reference submitted to tho Royal Commission which is at present sitting in Wellington. Mr. A. Jacobs expressed the opinion that the political tail was allowed to wag too many of tho departments. Ho believed that there would bo a different story to tell if the railways, for instance, wero freed from political control, Mr. E. Salmond said ho thought they should wait until the report of the Royal Commission had been brought down. 110 agreed entirely with tho previous speaker, but nevertheless ho thought tho timo was inopportuno Mr. Jacobs said no harm could be done by indicating the commercial view with regard to the railways.

Mr. Salmond said they might ask tho Government to widen tho scope of tho inquiry, and his proposal was agreed to.