The Daily News. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1924. NEW RAILWAY POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1924, Page 8

The Daily News. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1924. NEW RAILWAY POLICY.

“Better late than never. ’ The Minister for Railways (Hon. J. G. Coates) has at last realised the obvious fact, which has many times been pressed upon his attention, that faster trains are essential. It may be that jf the Minister had earlier held his present portfolio, that faster trains would long since have been instituted and a considerable volume .of traffic that has been gained by motor proprietors would not have been lost to the department. The reason for such a view is based on the fact that, as Minister, Mr. Coates has exhibited in his speeches convincing testimony of progressive and practical ideas, particularly in the matter of the proseeption of public works, the proof of which is already in evidence. In the past it has often seemed that the controlling authorities of the railways, whether Ministerial or permanent we are unable to state with accuracy, preferred to stagnate rather than cater for the public with that vigorous enterprise whereby alone can the desired success be achieved. The stereotyped reply to most requests for speeding up the railway services and the granting of facilities necessary to cope with the very large expansion of trade, the outcome of the Dominion’s increased prosperity, has too frequently been “it can’t be done. ’ ’ Whatever may be the recommendations made by the commission of experts that has lately been inquiring into the running and management of the New Zealand railways, there can be no doubt that the actual presense in the Dominion of these experts must quicken the comprehension of all those concerned in railway affairs and possibly open up a new vista of the principles on which such an important State enterprise should be run. It must, in fairness to tlie present heads of the department, be stated that many improvements have been instituted in recent times; and not a few anoma-’ lies rectified, yet in the matter of speeding up, and the running of both fast and slow services much yet remains to be done. The fundamental principle that the railways belong to the people, and should be administered in the people’s interests has been all too frequently disregarded, nor can it be forgotten that it is the business of the department to popularise the railways in the same way as a private trader does in catering for his customers. Admittedly there are difficulties in administering a service in which the safety of the lives of th.e people and the security of their property are in constant jeopardy. From the security aspect, except in the case of level crossings, the Railway Department has an excellent record. At the same time the public have a right to expect that the higher officers of the service will possess such gifts of organisation on .safe .lines as will enable them to so arrange the traffic that the speed which is expected in the present day shall be provided, and that goods shall not be given a few days rest at stations en route instead of being conveyed to their destination in a continuous journey-. The fact that the Minister, in his pronouncement at Christchurch last Monday, expressed the opinion that “a great deal of the traffic could be brought back to the railways, if faster trains were provided,” and that he was looking into the question .very closely with (that, object in yiew, emphasises the. 'fact that; in the past much revenue has been lost because the railways have!, not

moved with the times, but have been allowed to “take things easy.” There is one point touched upon by Mr. Coates that is worthy of special notice, namely, that nothing was now carried free on the railways, particularly lime and school children. All the same lime will still be carried to the farmers free, and school children will not pay transit fares. The only difference will be that railway charges will be paid by the Government departments concerned and at the cost of the taxpayers. It is quite a legitimate process of accountancy, and one that is fairly common in Government book-keep-ing, each department receiving what it earns from all sources and services for other departments' being paid for at usual rates, the charges being passed on the taxpayers in obedience to the unwritten law that it is the public which always has to pay. This is strictly business and bears out the Minister’s assertion that the present and future policy of the Railway Department is to “run the railways as a business concern on business line’s.’ If, as is to be hoped, the Minister’s views materialise in earnest, then the new departure will be heartily welcomed,. Time will show.