RAILWAY RATES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16455, 6 June 1919, Page 3

RAILWAY RATES.

THE NEED FOR REVISION,

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 5. Giving evidence before the Industries Committee, Mr. M'Villy, General Manager of Railways, said the Railway Department had come to the conclusion that the time had arrived for a thorough revision of railway freight rates, and that alterations must be in the direction of increasing the rates owing to the increased cost of operating the trains. Mr. M'Villy referred to the differential rates, and explained that the fewer rates from Lyttelton to Timaru -were introduced to secure for the railways the haulage of goods from overseas steamers coming to Lyttelton. He indicated that when the tariff was revised these differential rates might be cancelled.

Replying to a question by Mr. Hornsby as to whether it would not be wiser to electrify the Lyttelton tunnel instead, of duplicating the line as was proposed, Mr. M’Villy said that Mr. Parry, the expert, dealing with the matter of electrification, found that he had sufficient power to deal with the passenger service by electricity. _As the goods traffic was very heavy, it would be necessary to have more steam than electric trains. For that reason, it was decided that duplication was the wiser thing. More investigations were being made into the matter, and if the Lake Coleridge plant wore increased the Department might electrify the tunnel.

Mf. M'Villy agreed that it would b© a blessing to passengers if the smoke nuisance could be abolished, and would also be a blessing to the Department.