THE RAILWAYS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20169, 11 June 1928, Page 7

THE RAILWAYS

FUTURE POLICY General Manager Addresses Commercial Men PUBLIC CONGRATULATED. [ Per Pre-'jg Association j AUCKLAND, June 10. Addressing a gathering of commefi cial travellers, Mr H. H. Sterling, Gen* oral Manager of the Railways, said he had endeavoured to compile a compre- , hensive statement concerning his future policy in the administration of the railways, but all he could think t< write about was the necessity of securing the confidence of the public. This was the keynote of the Prime Minister in the present administration of the railways, and it would certainly be the very foundation of his own. Reciprocal relations were essential, ani Mr Sterling said he realised he wouid have to tender the public his confidence if he was to receive any in return. It was only this consideration which induced him to accept the responsibility of the position, “I feel that, assisted by you as one section of the community and by the primary producers as another, much may be done towards the successful administration of the railways,” Mr Sterling said. “Alone I can do nothing. My appeal to the railway men ’ in the same spirit. My idea is not to wrap myself up in cotton wool and lock myself up in a glass case office in Wellington. 1 hope to come out and meet my public and my men, and I hope, if any of you feel there is anything wrong about the railways, that you will come and have it out as man to man. If I can put anything right it will be my pleasure and my privilege to do so. If I cannot, yon will be told the reason why. That is how I view the policy of my chief, Mr Coates, and that is how I feci I will have to work it out. It is along these lines that I believe we will be able to accomplish something. “We have been passing through a state of unrest s far as transport is concerned. We have heard a lot of tattle, but we arc settling down, and I believe yet we will realise that railways are the backbone of the country’s transport. I ask for your entire confidence. Business to day is carried out at a terrific pace. Time is money, and wc cannot spare too much of that. My policy will be to co-crdinate goods and passenger services.”