THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS.

Southland Times, Issue 19171, 15 February 1924, Page 4

THE MINISTER OF RAILWAYS.

Mr Coates in his replies to the deputations which waited on him last night made it clear that he realises the urgent need for closer contact between the Railway Department and its customers, and we think we see in his statement a hint that there will be a move in' the direction of decentralisation in management. Certainly an extension in the powers of the local managers is necessary if the Minister is to bring aljout more effective methods of handling trade. Mr Coates was emphatic in his agreement with the arguments for more business-like methods in inducing the deputation has every reason to be pleased with his frank treatment of this aspect of the railway problem. In. the discussions on the cost of running the trains the Minister and the General Manager were at an advantage, but they would have been more conclusive in their replies to the deputation if they had given a fuller analysis of the figures they quoted. The running cost is evidently found by dividing the total expenditure by the train miles travelled, but it is obvious that such a method of computation is not enough to disclose the cost of running any particular service. The running charges, coupled with the interest, on the capital cost of the lines was not revealed last night, which is unfortunate because on this basis a fairer

comparison between the two main divisions of the system would be possible. This argument about running costs was raised by the deputation’s adherence to the proposal to secure extra trains in the Christ-church-Dunedin-Invercargill service, a project which must undoubtedly involve the Department in extra expenditure unless the extra trains induce traffic much in excess of that which is now offering. The deputations weakened their case by asking for these extra trains and gave the Minister and the General Manager an opportunity for a crushing reply. What Southland wants and needs urgently is a better service, the basis of which must be the through express to Christchurch to give the province better communications with Wellington. The through express daily gives us a daily connection with Dunedin and better mail facilities between Southland and the North Island. The through express daily should be the basis of the time-table. The Department may reply that in the winter months, when a slow ferry boat is running between Lyttelton and Wellington in alternation with a fast vessel, the connection with the early express at Christchurch will be missed on Wednesdays and Fridays. There are three methods by which that difficulty may oe met on these days: (1) An additional express to Dunedin from Christchurch; (2) A through express from Christchurch starting later and arriving later in In ercargill; (3) The use of the half-way expresses, centred on Dunedin when the slow boat is running on the ferry sendee. Christchurch wants a through express on Mondays and no reasonable argument against this proposal has yet been advanced. There is no ferry steamer to connect with the southward express on Mondays and the through express obviously cannot cost much more, if anything, than the two short expresses now being run. Dunedin naturally seeks to have the express services centred upon itself, but the extremities of the line are best served by the through trains which also supply communication with Dunedin. The Department . has not yet shown that the through express is more expensive than the two short expresses and we hope that the Minister will consider: (1) The daily through express between Christchurch and Invercargill, with additions or modifications when the slow ferry boat is running. (2) The through express on four days a week with the short express services on Wednesdays and Fridays. These proposals supply the Minister with an opportunity to improve the present wretched service without heavy additional cost, and if he considers them he should keep in mind the fact that Southland’s primary need is better communication with the capital. Southland is handicapped in this matter more severely than any other province served by the railway and we are entitled to demand that all avenues offering hope of improvement shall be investigated. Mr Coates wants to get away, from stiff officialdom; here is his chance.