RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2731, 9 February 1910, Page 5

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

PLAIN SPEAKING AT HASTINGS GHAAIBER OF COAIMERCE.

[Special to “Times.""J NAPIER, Feb. 8. At the meeting of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce to-day, Mr. ii*. Basil Jones, one of the delegates who •waited on the Hon.- J. A. Aluiar regarding railway matters, reported the "result, and expressed himself dissatisfied with thei attitude of the Alin is ter on the question of railway fares and freights. The working men, he said, wore practically swindled in railway fares in this part of the Dominion. The President, Sir AYm. Russel), agrefd with Air. Jones that the Alinister’s expressions were unsatisfying. He said now, as he always had contended, that nothing properly effective* could be done with the New Zealand railway system whilst it was under political influence. It was argued that the general manager had charge of the railways, but ultimate responsibility rested with t be Alinister, to whom people had to go with, their grievances, and as long as the Alinister had charge he would he influenced by the political vote. The Alinister in charge, of course, only occupied the position for the time being, ana just when he would lie getting a grasp of his work he would have to go out in order to make room for his successor.

Air. John A. 1" laser gave notice to move: “That this Chamber is or opinion that it is desirable in the best interests of tlie Dominion that an exhaustive and independent inquiry be held into the inan-.gement of the railways by an official obtained from outside the Dominion experienced in the conduct of railway business. It is also the opinion of this Chamber that nonpolitical management is the best method by which to secure economic and satisfactory results.”

Air. George Ebbett gave notice to move: “That this Chamber desires to protest against the utter absence of any method in fixing railway rates in different places; that it is strongly of opinion that as the railways belong to the people all should be treated similarly, and that'under the same circumstances all railway rates should be fixed on one basis.”