EX-MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

Otago Witness, Issue 3418, 19 September 1919, Page 46

EX-MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

FAREWELL TO THE DEPARTMENT. A TRIBUTE TO LOYALTY. Mr W. 11. Herries, on relinquishing office as Minister of Railways, forwarded tee following letter to tho General Manager of Railways:— • " Dear Mr M'Villy,—On relinquishing my offico as Minister of Railways I feel tna,t I must express both to you and to your predecessors in office, Messrs Hilcy and Rouayne, my sincere thanks for the assistance that has always been rendered to mo during tho anxious times which we have passed through during the seven years in which I have held office. I also desire, through you to extend my cordial thanks to all tho higher officials and heads of departments who have given mo personally, and tho Governments I have had the honour to belong to, such loyal and splendid service. I wish also, through you, to sincerely thank all the members of the railway service ' for their loyal and patriotic services to !he dominion, especially during -the war. No body of men has, I am sure, worked more patriotically and disinterestedly during that period than have the railwaymen of the New Zealand Railways, and I desire to express the gratitude of the Government for the splendid sen-ires rendered by all, from the highest to tho lowest. I feel sure that when tho history of tho war comes to bo written the efforts of the Railway Department will be found to have contributed Largely to the magnificent response to the call of the Empire made by New Zealand. " As you know, the policy of the department had to be reorganised—traditions iiad to bo thrown to the winds, peace, ideas bad to be abandoned, and war conditions adopted. The first duty was to release as many men as possible for the front. Seven thousand five hundred and twenty-nine men altogether were released, and out of that number 444 laid down their lives. To enable men to be released all non-essential traffic had to be suspended. Inconvenierco was necessarily felt by the public, but tho Empire's demands for men had to take first place. Everything had to give way to this and to other war requirements, and the response of the department was splendid. All demands made by the Defence Department for transport of troop 3 and supplies wero met promptly, and to the entire satisfaction of that department. Imperial supplies had to take preference of other goods, and in no case was any ship kept waiting for its cargo through the fault of the Railway Department. Subject to war requirements the best service that could be given to the public was given, and all essential services were continued. " Notwithstanding the suspension of nonessential traffic to release men, the financial results of the department's operations during the five years of the war have been highly satisfactory, and will bear more than favourable comparison with the results of any of the Australian States' systems of railways. Rates of interest of 3& per cent., 4J per cent., 5£ per cent., 4£ per cent., and 42 per cent, have been earned throughout the war years, and the thanks of tho Government are to the department for their successful finance, notwithstanding the payment of substantial 'bonuses to the emplovees and tho increased cost of aJI materials. " I should like especially to thank, through you, those officers who were connected with the coal supply for the railways. Their responsibilities wero eased by Uhe fact that at an early stage of tho war the duty of supplying coal to the railways, as well as other industries, was taken over by tho Munitions and Supplies Department in procuring shipping and cargo, and it is largely due to their efforts that the coal supply, in face of great difficulties, was maintained so long. Unfortunately, circumstances arose which could not have been foreseen either bv tho Munitions Department or by tho officers of tho Railway Department, cjid hence tho present temporary difficulty. "In conclusion, I desire to especially thank, through you the officers and. executives of the three railway societies for the uniform courtesy I have received at their hands, and for tho temperate and excellent way in which they have placed tho opinions of thoso.they represent before the management."