CASE OF SELF-HELP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21612, 6 April 1932, Page 10

CASE OF SELF-HELP

RAILWAYMEN’S PROPAGANDA. A staff of 15,000 railwayman “ stating convincingly the railways case! ” Fifteen thousand criers of the slogan: “Fourpence a mile by motor car, a penny per mile by rail!” This is the propagandist perfection to which the general manager (Mr P. G. Roussell) points the way in his message to railwayman and to the railway-owning public in the April issue of the New Zealand Railways Magazine. When railwayman tell everybody the plain truth about “the cheapness and safety of railway transport,” the employees are telling the shareholders in the railway undertaking facts of mutual benefit. The railwaymen, adds the general manager, “ are necessarily acting for the welfare of themselves and the whole Dominion. More business for the railways means more security for positions in various branches of the service. Efforts of the staff to increase this business may be regarded as- an insurance policy against decrease of employment. “ The department has, of course, business agents whose special duty it is to sell railway transport (passengers and freight), but the number of these agents is limited. Stationrnasters and their staffs, too, are exceptionally well situated to assist in this service. No matter how strenuously these may work, however, there will be still immeasurable scope for other members of the service to say a good word for the railways on suitable occasions during their leisure hours.

“ When one thinks of a staff of 15,000 men, distributed through the whole community, one cannot help feeling that a strong persistent dyive for the railways must have good results. Therefore, I appeal confidently to all members to be always in readiness to state the railways ease convincingly. We supply the safest and cheapest transport, and it deserves the best support of the owners, the general public. “Linked with this need of morq revenue for the railways is the saving which can be made in the careful use of stores and equipment. lam pleased that the recent reminder on this important matter has been appreciably effective, and I anticipate that the staff will continue to be on guard against all kinds of waste. Here, again, it is a case of strengthening the financial position of the railways so that the outlook may be improved for employees. It is really a case of self-help.”