THE RAILWAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17134, 22 June 1927, Page 4

THE RAILWAYS.

REGRADING SERVICE. MOTOR TRANSPORT. STATEMENT BY BOARD. At the annual social of the Railway Officers' Institute, addresses were delivered by the Hon. F. J. Rolleston (Acting-Minister of Railways) and Messrs James Mason and A. W. Mouat, members of the Railway Board. Interesting references were made to motor competition as it affects the railways, and also to the Railway Department—the largest brancli of the Public Service. Mr Mason said he appreciated very much the remarks which had been made by the president of the Institute with reference to the Railways Board. The relations of the Board and the executive of the Institute had always been pleasant. The executive in meeting the Board had always presented its case concisely and logically, and had shown a spirit of "sweet reasonableness." From the point of view of (he members of the Inptitute, the most important event of the year had been the question of the reclassification of the first division. It had been a task of considerable magnitude—a most exacting task, calling forth much energy and "ability on the part of those engaged in the work. In his opinion, very sound judgment had been exercised in arriving at the conclusions come to. Almost every railway station in the Dominion had been visited, and a vast amount of information had been gathered. The report had not yet been, made public, but it was far better to have the work thoroughly done even if that involved some delay. He considered the report an able one, and he was of opinion that it would afford considerable satisfaction to the railway service generally—at least, to the portion of the service immediately concerned. They might not agree with all the recommendations in the report, but he might point out that the report had been prepared by three officers ot wide knowledge of the Railway Department as well as of the general Public Service, i Improved Conditions. So far.as the Railway Board of Management was concerned, it was sympathetic with the Institute and desired that all its members should have a fair deal. It was the sincere wish of the management that the members of the sex-vice should be contented and happy in their work. He reminded them that the members of the Board had all worked their way up from cadetships. They had pretty nearly reached the allotted span of official life, and he thought they understood precisely how the service felt in looking forward to the results of the reclassification. He trusted that when the results of the regrading were made public that most of them—he would not like to say all —would be pleased. Of course, some might be disappointed —that was inevitable in a big service. The executive committee had had long interviews with the Board. After the Board had given the recommendations further consideration, the report would be forwarded to the Minister, and he was sure the Minister would give the recommendations every consideration, because the Minister, like the Board, desired to see a happy and contented service. The various remits adopted by the conference of the Institute were then alluded to briefly by Mr Mason, who spoke of the good work done on behalf of the Institute by the executive, and instanced several improvements in the matter of conditions which had been granted by the Railways Board as the result of representations made to the Board during the sitting of. the last conference of the Institute. He expressed the opinion that a very distinct advance had bocn made by the Department in introducing the merit system of discipline. Increased Efficiency. During the year regulations had been gazetted providing for examinations in grades 7 and 8, and in order to give facilities for members to prepare for these examinations, correspondence classes under the control of the Training School at, Wellington had been established. There were approximately 1500 students belonging to the first division, and he felt sure they would benefit - considerably by their studies, and would be better equipped to take up higher positions as opportunities for advancement occurred. Reference had been made to the increasing competition of motor traffic. It was very essential that every railway officer should equip himself to meet the competition which the railways were now faced with, for there had been no stage in the history of the railways when they had had to meet such serious competition. Of course, that competition was not singular in the case of New Zealand. All railway concerns throughout the world were grappling with the problem. Every officer in the service should make up his mind to do all he could to assist the management, for the Department required all the business it was possible to get. No service could flourish unless all its members devoted themselves whole-heartedly to its interests. He was glad to say that a very fine spirit permeated the service—a spirit which made for advancement and for gaining and retaining the confidence of the public. He thought, however, that that spirit could be still further developed. When they considered that there were about 18,000 employees in the Railway Service, it would be realised that the interests of the employees were, bound up with the prosperity of the railways: and it behoved every officer to realise that not only had the public a right to expect efficiency, but such efficiency and the prosperity of the railways was in the interests of eacli individual member of the service. If every member became imbued with the spirit of assisting to bring the machine to the highest state of efficiency, then their difficulties would bo surmounted, and they could look forward with confidence to the future. Motor Competition. Mr A. W. Mouat said that there was no doubt the increasing motor competition was serious, and, indeed, it raised a doubt as to whether all the members of the railway service were going to finish their careers as railway officers. The question often came into his mind: Has motor transportation come to take the place of the railways? If it had, then the railways within a comparatively few years would range themselves alongside of the stage coach and the bullock team. ' That was, if they accepted the view that motor transportation could render all the service lhat the railways could: but he did not think it could. He did not propose to go into details, but he did not think that motor transportation had shown that it could handle rush traffic in the way the railways could. It could not, he thought, handle the suburban and city traffic ia

centres like Auckland and Wellington without great disorganisation; nor could it take 10,000 people to and from agricultural shows or race meetings. Even if it could, it would not, he thought, be able to take the workers to and from their homes at a farthing a mile; nor could it distribute large quantities of coal daily over large distances, as was done in the North Island, at thrcc-farthings a mile. Therefore, in his opinion, motor traffic had not reached the stage by a long way when it could replace the railways. It was in the interests of all that the railways should be maintained in a position of being able to pay their way. They should not have to meet motor transportation on the present conditions, which he thought were unfair. The railways represented to the taxpayers of this country about £50,000,000, and at the present time they were earning the £2,000,000 a year interest. If motor traffic were to be allowed to take the cream of the traffic it would mean a serious thing for the taxpayers. He trusted it would not be long before the railways were put on a more equitable footing so ' far as competition with motor transportation was concerned. He did not quite know how that would be reached, but perhaps it would be in regard to routes, rates charged, or the taxes the motor vehicles had to pay for the roads on which they ran. The railways should be put on a more equitable footing. He thought that in the future the railways would be found to be just as necessary' for the country as they were to-day. Minister's Eulogy. Hon. F. J. Rolleston, Acting-Minister of Railways, said that during the few months he had held that office, he had learned to appreciate the value of the railway service of New Zealand, and he had come to know how much the public of New Zealand were indebted to the officers of the service of all grades for the work they were doing. Mr Mason had referred fittingly to the fine spirit which actuated the service. From his experience as Minister, Mr Rolleston said he could affirm that what Mr Mason had said was absolutely true. At the present juncture the Government and Parliament had greater responsibilities than they had had for many years past, and they confidently looked forward to all branches of the Public Service helping the Government and the country through the temporary difficulties through which they were passing. His experience as Acting-Minister of Railways gave him the assurance lhat that important branch of the Public Service would do all it could to assist the executive and legislative authorities, and in doing so they would also assist the country. He trusted that the deliberations of the conference of the Institute would be for the mutual benefit of all.