RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18511, 23 March 1922, Page 6

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

TO THE EDITOB. Sin,—The country pays £2OOO a year to the General Manager of Railways. If ve are to judge by the official returns published from time to time during the past year the management is costing the dominion £1,250,000 per annum. And for this huge sum we have general dissatisfaction. Almost without exception the press, public bodies, commercial associations, and users of the freight and passenger services condemn the management in the strongest terms. But the result is nil! The management sits serene and apparently contemptuous of all the indignation expressed or implied. When any reply is vouchsafed it is couched in the stereotyped official manner, and assures us that the management knows its business, and in a patronising way informs us that we do not! Statistics are adduced from its past mismanagement to prove the case, and there you arc, you see! There can be no further argument. It never occurs to this autocratic management that a different policy might yield different results and provide more satisfactory statistics. The idea of creating a fresh precedent for guidance is to the department in the nature of an earthquake. What is is right because the department created it. Even if it be 60 years old there are the statistics to prove it ; Ever since the lino was duplicated to Mosgiel there has been a demand year after year for the running of the suburban trains to the town station, and from the residents of West Taieri for a connection to that station from Outmm by at least, two trains a day (arriving Mosgiel Town 10.40 a.m. and 1.23 p.m.), when it is possible for them to travel, but the department points out in reply that for nearly 50 years it has run this service (when the people cannot by reason of their occupation use it), and that statistics conclusively show "that no alteration is warranted in this direction.” In- consequence it has lost £20,000 during the past 10 years on this section. (1) It. has been shown that the change would improve the revenue by £2OOO per annum without any increase in working costs, (it It would repay the total cost of necessary alterations in three years, but the department replies. ‘‘Our statistics do not prove this!” (3) The alteration would also save the post office £2OO per annum. Money spent by the department in keeping an overloaded clerical staff would he better employed in this and in similar improveiiients to increase the net revenue. The working staff is quite aware of what the result of the alteration would mean, but the high officials in the management, arc too busy with the typewriter, ami would not dream of asking their opinion. To do so would bo undignified—and they have statistics,—l 'am, etc., r J. S. M. March 21.