IMPROVED STATUS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 199, 26 August 1935, Page 6

IMPROVED STATUS

WANGANUI RAILWAY CENTRE GENERAL MANAGER’S REMARKS A RETURN TO PROSPERITY '•lt is a pleasure coming to Wanganui, for in so doing 1 feel that L am visiting a railway centre,” said Air. G. ’ H. Alackley, General Alanager, New ( Zealand Railways, at the annual re- ( union of the Railway Officers’ Institutc (Wanganui branch) on Saturday . night. ( ••Wanganui has improved its status , considerably, and us a railway admin- . istrative centre is now on equal foot- t ing with Auckland, Wellington, < hrisl- J church and other New Zealand cities. ) I believe, although the times have nut t been as happy as they might have [ been, that the clouds are rolling by. We feci, so far as this city is con- ( cerncd; that there will be an improve- t ment and that business concerns generally will experience a return to pros ] perity As 1 would judge from what J i saw corning here to-day, 1 might be 2 pardoned J<>r thinking that Wanganui [ is almost the chief centre of the Do- 1 minior.,” said Air. Alackley. ( Air. Alackley, in -.he course of his re- j piy to the toast of the Railway De- i partniCDt, said that during the year < which ended on Alarch 31, 1935. the t railway warnings had been £6,627,928, ] and the expenditure £5,540,437. This v lel’lf the sum of £1,087,491 by way of « net revenue, which was paid into the consolidated fund. “I know you are all sensible and reasonable enough to appreciate that an organisation with an annual expenditure of over live millions must approach financial matters very cautiously,” said the general manager. There are many men eu the permanent staff to-day, w'<ho, a few’ years ago might have found themselves looking for jobs. But I will say this, there has not been one man on the permanent staff who, for the sake of retrenchment, has been asked to put in his papers. When the depression was at its height it was far better to ask a man, well up in years, to retire on a pension, than it was to ask a young, married man with two children to hand in his papers and go out un the cold charity of the ’world.” ‘‘During the last, few yours the department has gone through a crisis it has never gone through before,” Air. Alackley continued. “I sincerely hope ii will never have to face a similar period again. J now believe that the railway service is coining into its own, and that the turning of the tide will bring happier days than we have experienced during the past few years. The introduction of rail cars, and the fast, clean and comfortable services . that will follow this step, will, I’m sure, mean the commencement of a new day so far as the New Zealand Railways are concerned.”

“No announcement previously made by the department has been met with so much satisfaction by the travelling public, and no decision reached by the administrators has been so well received as that of the announcement that we intend intrc-ducing the rail car to New Zealand,” said the general manager. “It also affords the management a great deal of satisfaction to learn from the public that the efforts of the staff arc appreciated and it is pleasing for the department to be able to state that it is now in the position when there is a definite improvement in the net revenue. .1 would, at this stage, pay a tribute to the men who have retired on superannuation. To them we owe a debt of gratitude. To-day we are working on a structure they found and built up for us during the years that have gone b F-.’ ’ “To-night I am pleased tc- be among you, not as the general manager, but as the captain of the big railway team,” said Air. Alackley in conclusion. “I am at least one of you tonight. I believe you are loyal enough to get behind me, even when I’m wrong, and help mo along the road. There is no difference between the general manager and the men of the rank and file, except from the point of responsibility, which 1 know you all appreciate. ’ ’ The general manager was the recipient of three hearty cheers at the conclusion. of his address.