RAILWAY ECONOMIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20875, 18 May 1931, Page 11

RAILWAY ECONOMIES.

RETRENCHMENT OF STAFF.

THE DEPARTMENT'S ATTITUDE.

LOSS OF GOOD MEN REGRETTED.

[BS TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHBISTCHURCH, Snturdny.

An explanation of the departments attitude in retiring men from the railways was given by tho general manager, Mr. H. H. Sterling, at a farewell function today. Mr. Sterling said the circumstances connected with the working of a business sometimes brought about a surplus of staff. Tho extent to which any industry could carry this surplus was limited and if carried on indefinitely the surplus placed on tho industry a burden which it was unable to carry. That burden could not be carried by the railways. It became imperative that there must be an adjustment of staffs, and that threw open two channels.

One was to retrench from the bottom by the principle of "last on, first off, said Mr. Sterling. That would have meant that men at the beginning of life would have been thrown on tho unemployment heap. Situated as tho department was with its superannuation an alternative presented itself. That was that officers who were qualified to retire be asked to go out on superannuation. The department always endeavoured to carry on business as humanely as possible. It was only too painful that the decision involved a substantial loss of capablo and experienced officers, but it had to be faced.

"Although we regret the loss of experienced men wo should resolve to do our best, to make up for the loss," concluded Mr. Sterling. "I believe that the view expressed will be endorsed by tho great body of railwaymen. But that does not imply that they do not feel tho loss of tho men who are retired." DECREASE IN EXPENDITURE. OVER £90,000 LAST MONTH. [BY TELEGRAFH. —rRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. A decrease of £92,000 in railway expenditure for tho month of April was disclosed by the general manager of the New Zealand railways, Mr. H. 11. Sterling, in an interview last evening. Ho said tho most pleasing feature of this decrease was that much of it was likely to bo permanent. He also indicated that the falling off in revenue for tho same ■period was substantially less than that for tho previous two months.