MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14141, 26 February 1910, Page 2

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

DEPARTMENTAL MATTERS. The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Railways, passed through Timaru yesterday afternoon, after having spent a. few.. days in Dunedin. His destination was Wellington, where lie will be engaged in Departmental duties till the middle of next month when he visits Australia.

Mr Millar said that the railways had had a good year in both Islands. The revenue from them for the fourweekly period ended Februarv sth was £275,929, being £34,508 in "excess of the amount for. the corresponding period of last year. They had earned £273,752 more in the first nine months of the present financial year than in the corresponding period in 1908-9, while only £85,376 had been spent during, that time. The proportion of the revenue absorbed by expenese had fallen from 74,42 percent, to , 69.51 per cent. The. Minister also emphasised the fact that notwithstanding the increased railway fares, the passenger traffic was keeping up satisfactorily, and showed no signs of falling away. From this source the revenue [ over the four weekly period ended February sth showed an increase of £7400 as compared with the returns for the same period of last year. . [ The Minister was also questioned ! with regard to local railway matters j of interest:—"What about the branch ; railways South Canterbury has been agitating for?"—"I have no statement [to make: there is nothing fresh." — "And Timanis new station?" "There is not the slightest idea of building a new one at present." Mr Millar also denied that there was any intention of .shifting the present station further south. Following his inspections one or two necessary alteration?; would shortly be effected in -he yard, but he admitted that these were only of minor importance. Though there might be complaints about th« inadequate accommodation at the Tim» aru goods shed, it was far from advisable that his Department should make additions just for the purpose of holding goods when a 'rush' was on. and then have a big space empty and useless for a few months at a time.

"If it is the intention of your Department to take land from the Harbour Board, will you dve the full commercial value for it, or iust what it originally cost the Board?" "If we want land from the Harbour Board," replied Mr Millar, '"we will take it under the Act, which provides that reclaimed land can be taken at "the cost of reclamation." Outlining his future movements for the next two months, "Mr;Millar said that he was at present on his wav to Wellington, and would stay there* ull March 25th;. with the exception of a visit to FeUding on March Ist. On March 25th he will leave Wellington for the Commonwealth by the Manuka, spending five weeks on the other side. Four days will be spent in Sydney and then Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide will be visited in turn. His principal object is to personally investigate the railway systems in Australia. The Minister said that it must be apparent to everyone that the country was not' feeling any bad effects as a result of the retrenchment policy. Of course industries and perhaps districts were bound to feel some inconvenience, but generally speaking they had taken matters philosophically, and they had been treated as lightly as .possible. The Government had done all in its power for all-round improvement, and he trusted that the beneficial results were becoming more evident. Next vear the lines would be on a thoroughly good basis, and he was confident that there would be no cause for complaint either about rates or about trains. It was bis aim to make the railway system of New Zealand a credit to ths country, and he was satisfied that the business was running smoothly and well. It was -not possible to draw Mr Millar out m regard to future eventualities ajpd his reply to a leading question about plans for next- session was brief " io u-must ask Sir Josenh Ward about that. _lt was probable, he admitted, that if any labour legislation were brought down it would be very early in the session. It was brought under his notice by the interviewer that at the quarterly meeting of the Christchurch Employers' Association, one Bpeaker had protested against hasty and immature legislation, stating that the Minister for Labour had introduced an amendment to the 1908 Arbitration Act, specially designed to override the decisions which thte Court had made in tflie hotel and restaurants award. Mr Millar did not attempt to answer the criticism, but simply said, "I have no desire to enter into a wordy warfare with the Employers' Association." Referring to the question of the weight of cornsacks, Mr Millar mentioned that a deputation had waited on him at Oamaru, and urged that the l vel^o, might be inere ased from 2061 ha to 2081 os, and that the penalty, instead of being put on freight should be calculated at per sack or per bushel, irrespective of distance In reply be pointed out that the weight was arrived at after a conference with the executive of the Farmers' Onion. It was theu decided that 2001b per bag was a fair weight, plus the weight of the bag, which made 2031b and an additional 31b of wheat, making a total of 2061b. Ample notice bad been given of the regulation, and K» tWht that there could be no reason! able excuse for any carelessness.