NEW GENERAL MANAGER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13091, 3 June 1913, Page 7

NEW GENERAL MANAGER.

BEST "YOUNG" RAILWAYMAN IN

ENGLAND

LONDON, April 18. At King's Cross — the Metropolitan terminus of the Great Northern Railway — I saw to-day a former colleague of Mr E. H. Hiley, who was exceedingly gratified to hear of the decision that New Zealand had made. This gentleman holds an important position in the railway world and is well qualified to speak of Mr Hiley's credentials. Without beating the subject he at once remarked:."! think New Zealand is fortunate in having secured him. He is far and away the best 'young' railwayman on this side, and his strong point is organisation."

Mr Hiley is a good disciplinarian, tactful, and well able to win a man's confidence. Any man who knows his work and does it has a comfortable time with him, but Mr Hiley expects his staff to give of its best. The new manager, too, is a worker. He asks of no subordinate that which he is not ready to do himself. In every respect he is a thoroughly good railwayman. Mr Hiley came from the North Eastern Railway to King's Cross as Chief Passenger Agent of the Great Northern Railway at a time when tliis railway was being worked on the American system. Since then the Great Northern has gone back to the English system, but it is noteworthy to point out that the North Eastern line still keeps to tho American plan in the working of its system. He threw himself wholeheartedly into publicity work and popularised the Great Northern Railway in many directions. The advertising and commercial sides were attacked with keen energy, and new branches of revenue were opened. For instanoe, while in the position of Chief Pdssenger Ag(ant he Inaugurated til© -cheap popular long-excursions which have been copied by many other lines. He initiated the cheap run from London to Skegness, a day's outing for about three shillings return.

Another innovation was the Sunday half : day excursion. Before the advent of Mr Hiley, nothing of the kind had been known. By these excursions, business people could visit their friends in various parts of England served by the G^eat. Northern Railway. Cheap tickets, too^ were issued to golfers. • Continental travellers were "assiduously cultivated by him. The main objective of the Great Northern Railwav, is, of course, King's Cross, but. a working scheme was established with the South Eastern and Chatham, and prospective tourists from the North of England were _ encouraged to perform part of tlieir journey . over the Great Northern metals. Large parties were also conducted under the auspices of the Great Northern line to various parts of tho Continent.

• In 1906 the Yorkshire choir visited Germany, and other big • parties were the Leeds Choral Society, which went to Paris, and the Iron and Steel Institute delegates to Vienna. That Continental travel to-day has become a feature of the English holiday life is due in large measure to the inception and inauguration of \Mr Hiley. The advertising department of the Great Northern- Railway was- considerably brightened up directly ; Mr Hiley arrived, and for the first time the pic-ture-poster found* a lasting and honored position in tlie means of popularising the different places to which the G.N.R. run. Mr Hiley also organised a. canvassing department to look after the "coaching" traffic of the line, with results extremely successful.

Mr Hiley finds recreation in golf. He is a married man. His wedding took place in 1909 to Miss Leigh Lord, an Australian lady. — Post correspondent.