AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13057, 27 April 1910, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN RAILWAYS.

COMPARED WITH HEW ZEALAND. Mr. Miliar’s Investigations. 'Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 27. The Hon. Mr Millar returned this morning in the Moana from Australia. He was accompanied by Mr McViiiy, the chief clerk of -the New Zealand Railways, Luring lus absence Mr Miliar travelled G3OO miles, an average of 200 miles per day, excluding Sundays. To a Post .reporter-he said tjiat • one of the principal objects of lus trip .was to ascertain how the Commissioner system of control worked in Australia. lie found a Minister had little actual work to do iri the details of .administration. 1 . ./ Mr Millar discussed the methods of working, also traffic, and ways of . dealing with capital accounts with the Commissioners in several States. He found that constant complaints of a similar "kind to' those made in New Zealand Were reported in Australia. ; . In regard to the shortage of" trucks, freight, and timetables, the, agitation was equally as strong in Australia as in New Zealand. Almost every day articles appeared in the Tress there criticising the management. It was freely admitted in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, that the harvest was so great that the rolling stock was insufficient to cope with the requirements in a speedy manner. Mr_ Millar inquired, closely into the question of fares and wages, and lie found that the wages paid on the whole were not so high as those paid in New Zealand, nor were the conditions of employment so good. The informatiop on which, this conclusion was based was. obtained from the Commissioners. Railway experts whom he met had expressed surprise. at the high speed maintained on the narrow gauge railways of this country. Careful comparison of the times taken by the Melbourne-Adclaide express and the Wellington-Auckland ’ express showed that, notwithstanding the gauge of 3ft 6in here as against sft Sin in the other case, the trains maintained an almost equal speed. The suburban services out of Melbourne Sydney were handled most expeditiously. . The tramway services were of great assistance in dealing with this traffic. Sydney had 1040 cars on the;road. Last year the Sydney trams returned per cent, on the capital outlay. Air Millar got an independent, opinion from Air Felion, late Railway Commissioner in New South Wales, who visits New Zealand frequently. _ Mr Millar discussed the principles on which the railways worked here, and asked Mr Felion if he could suggest any improvements. His reply was that from his experience flic New Zealand -ailways were very satisfactorily run. Mr Felion spent nearly all his life as a railway man. After his investigations in Australia Mr Millar said the cry for a .second express to Vuckland and Wellington .appeared more unreasonable than ever. ], One express per day was sufficient between Sydney and Melbourne—two towns having a population if over a million.