SERVICE TO PUBLIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23592, 31 August 1938, Page 10

SERVICE TO PUBLIC

DEFENCE OF RAILWAYS A LEGACY OF NEGLECT THE MINISTER'S COMPARISON (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Aug. 30. " There has never been a period in the history of the railways in New Zealand when tne service rendered to the public has been as good as it is at the present time," said the Minister of Railways (Mr D. G Sullivan) when speaking on the Imprest Supply Bill in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr Sullivan was replying to the speech of Mr J. Hargest (Opposition, Awarua), who criticised the decrease in the net revenue of the railways since the present Government assumed office. Ground to be Recovered " The member for Awarua is very much concerned with a slight decrease in the net revenue since this Government came into office," Mr Sullivan said, '" but how does our record during the short two and ahalf years we have been in charge of the railways compare with that of the last Government? In the tix years before the last election the last Government lost more than £8,000,000 in the administration of the railways, yet members of the Opposition are concerned about the slight loss we have made. And they lost that amount in spite of starvation of the men in the service and neglect of the rolling stock. The Railways Board refused provision for the maintenance of the rolling stock by £400,000 a year, and we have had to increase the annual provision by more than £BOO,OOO to bring it back into a safe condition." It was true that the net revenue was decreasing in spite of the increase in gross revenue and in the extent of business, Mr Sullivan said, but in addition to the necessity of increasing provision for the rolling stock by more than £BOO,OOO a year the Government had spent almost £1,000,000 a year in improving the condition of the railway workers by raising wages, introducing the 40hour week, and improving the wage schedules. Still further improvements would have to be made before all • the requirements of the workers were satisfied. Savings by Co-ordination "The policy of taking over the road services, about which the members of the Opposition complain so much, was started by the last Government," the Minister said, "and in continuing that policy we have done the only sensible thing that could have been done in bringing about some degree of rationalisation. There are instances wher« we have saved as much as £SOOO a year by real co-ordination of road and rail services, and some of the most experienced road transport operators in New Zealand who have been eliminated have congratulated the Government on the steps it has taken." The Minister referred, in conclusion, to the introduction of railcars, the multiple-unit service on the Wellington-Johnsonville line, and other new developments, and said that with the co-operation of the men in the railways it was his aim to make the New Zealand railway service the best in the world. With proper control and whole-hearted work, he did not see why that aim should not be achieved.