THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 23

THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT.

ADMES3STRATION CRITICISED. . (FxOlC OUB t)WN GOXRBSBONDBNT'.) CHBTSTCHJDBGH, December 2. The Times, in discussing the suggestion that Mr Millar should take over the portfolia of Rail-rays, makes some admissions as- to the present administration that iff ■would hardly have made three weeks ago. "Mr Millar," it says, "has abiMta of no mean order. He is energetic, -keen, and courageous, and courage and com-, ■mon. sense appear to us to be the qualities' most urgently needed at the present? juncture. Thei railways, we fear, have got a little out of hand. Sir' Joseph Ward, before he- became Prime Ministerhad., far- too much, work to do to "enable him. to K»iV« the great department his close personal supervision, and the Hon. ■W. Hall-Jones was-, of course, a sick man when he took over the charge ot the lines. Of late the Ministerial supervision has been somewhat perfunctory, and the administration has been left almost entirely to the permanent officers. .There is not wanting evidence, moreover, that the 'permanent offieere axe conservative and? unenterprising. The long controversy over the Lyttelton rates has provided numerous illustrations of inefficient administration, and there is no section of line in' the Dominion that does not reveal similar instances of managerial weakness. Wa believe that the railways efficiently managed would pay handsomely. They hay« to be supported now by an annual contri< , button of £100,000 or so from the Consolidated Fund. Considering the rapid development of the country, they ought to be not merely earning full interest on. th© capital cost but even returning a handsome amount to the general revenue* and this result could be achieved, we hay* . no doubt, without increasing the rates by, a fraction of a penny and without prejudicing in any way the interests of th< community. Indeed, it is by consulting, the convenience of the public, by exercising strict economy on lines that are little used, and by demanding a higher degree * of efficiency from the executive officers' tnat the department would be made to i'pay- its way. The general manager has 1 been, long in office, and we are afraidthat the work has outgrown his capacity., A younger man. with, finst-class experience, should be engaged, from abroad to reorganise" the department, and an appointment this, kind would prove imme- . diately. remunerative. The task before the. new. Minister, therefore, demand* courage ' before everything else, and it also conscientiousness and shrewd judgment. If Mr Millar is appointed to the position he musfcibe given a free hand to undertake the reorganisation that is 39 obviously needed.