In a trenchant speech delivered at Pukerua Bay, the Prime Minister, when referring to his Department of Railways, said that he wanted the whole staff to “get the big idea.” This was essential before real progress could be made.

Such a movement to be successful should begin at the beginning. It was, therefore, with pleasure that we listened recently to one of the standard lectures prepared by Mr. M. L. Bracefield (Officer-in-Charge) and delivered, to new cadets, by Mr. E. Hayton of the Railway Central Training and Correspondence School; for it showed that a genuine attempt to put “The big idea” across, is being made in the Department's newly established training school for traffic beginners. Mr. Hayton said:—

You have but newly joined the Railway Department, and have to look ahead to forty years in the Service.

To succeed you must love your work, live it, walk it, talk it, have all your thoughts centred in it. Thereby you will make good. This is your great opportunity, and high aims are necessary to take full advantage of it. In starting off you should dream of future success, and, by will and perseverance make your dreams come true.

Put life and ginger into the tuition received here. Aim at perfection by close attention to detail, and remember that close attention to detail is what makes work interesting. Form the habit now and it will help you throughout your career. Even in routine work—such as invoicing—try to improve, to gain speed, to become expert, to go faster and get more done. Don't think any job a small one. Think of your job as big, and keep at it diligently.

The homework you get here gives opportunity for initiative. You have to think for yourselves. Appreciate the chance accordingly and you will find the main pleasure of life, that of self-development, lies at the back of these problems.

Try to improve your English; study the dictionary; read good authors; practice writing and spelling. Be assured that the further you go the wider will the field become, and the more certain will it appear that enjoyment of the work in hand is necessary for improvement and efficiency.

While the above is being delivered, there is another class across the room being lectured on tariff matters, and a group of boys near at hand are practising telegraphy. We note that some of these have drifted nearer and are listening hard, caught in the snare of the speaker's earnest oratory, as he continues:—

Brains and perseverance take you all the way. There are variations in mental capacity. But it is worth remembering that any brain-power handicap can be made up by “sticking to it.”

Don't miss any business-getting opportunities. We are instructing you carefully in the tariff. Well, a definite knowledge of the rates helps to secure traffic by giving that assurance to customers which accuracy alone can yield. If you hear any inquiry regarding Railway matters, do not hesitate to go right up and offer information. If you show courtesy and politeness your help will be appreciated, and your keenness will do credit both to yourselves and the Department. Remember in your dealings with the Public to give equal treatment to all. Personality is the thing that counts, that gets you along, that opens the road before you, and a strong personality is only developed by controlled behaviour. Remember that self-control gives power, and can accomplish all. Therefore cut out the “can'ts,” and make the song of the Loco—and all it means—your favourite melody.

Here a medley of sound, the bang of a typewriter and of several telegraph instruments, commingled with voices from the class across the room, impinges on the senses as Mr. Hayton takes breath in the straight for his final run home. Hear him:—

Punctuality is a necessity for the proper performance of business, and no one can be considered reliable who fails to observe this virtue. Then loyalty to the Department and to your fellow-officers is the mark of a gentleman and must be maintained inviolate. With it is associated trustworthiness—an essential to honesty of character.

In the matter of deportment, a respectful attitude is desirable. You should not be afraid to use the word “Sir.” There is no servility in it. To use it towards a senior is to treat him with proper respect. The public like it. If you practice using the term its use becomes automatic and gives constant pleasure. Then you should all study cleanliness, tidiness and attention to your personal habits, in order that you may improve them and eliminate all things from your way of life which might impede self-development and progress. Thus will your self-respect be increased and your personal value augmented.

The attention of the whole staff is drawn to the work being carried on from this, the Department's Training and Correspondence School. Here is your chance for a systematic education in the science of transportation. Come along and enrol as a student. Take the earliest opportunity of engaging in the study of your job. See the whole course ahead of you. Make your own chances. Get “the big idea.”

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Several of the large manufacturers of permanent way equipment in Britain were visited and the latest developments fully discussed.

A matter brought forcibly home to many railways by competition is the cost of track maintenance on light traffic, non-productive lines. Considerable saving has been achieved in some cases by lengthening out the gang-lengths and providing a motor trolley for the gang. Investigations are being made with a view to adopting some such method on our own light traffic lines. The use of motor trolleys for line gangs is fairly general in America, but is quite unsuitable for the greater part of our system owing to sharp curves and deep cuttings. None of the labour saving devices inquired into seemed to be suited to our conditions. They generally require considerable space at the side of the track and are only economical on a big face of work.

Bridge Work.

The general practice of bridge design and records was touched upon in passing, but no close investigation could be made. Our bridge design conforms to the best practice, and it would appear that we are well ahead of most railways in the systematising of our bridge records.

General.

The commercial field was explored as far as time permitted, and information was obtained in regard to machinery, tools and material applicable to railway maintenance and construction work. Notes were made of various functions outside my particular sphere. The education of staff, the warehousing and issue of stores, the feeding of passengers en route and at terminals, sleeping accommodation on trains, etc. Much that was seen and learned requires to be carefully equated to our system, which has many features peculiar to itself.

Commercial Branch Activities
Stray Notes on Strayed Traffic
Wanganui District

The Taranaki roads are the best in the Dominion, a fact which has made more difficult the task of the Department in regaining the traffic lost there to motor transport. But the road competition was also very severe further south, notably between Wanganui and Marton, Feilding and Palmerston North, and between Palmerston North and Wellington. After exhaustive investigations as to the quantity of traffic being carried over the road from Wanganui to Marton, Feilding and Palmerston North, and as to the rates being charged by the lorry owners, our rates were cut below those of the opposition and an extensive canvas was undertaken in an endeavour to win the traffic back to its proper channel, the State-owned transport system.

The results have been very gratifying and the train traffic from Wanganui to the towns mentioned has been growing steadily, with a consequent increase in the revenue and an easing of the burden of lorry traffic on the roads.

The lorry owners of Palmerston North who had been running in competition with us between that town and Wellington, decided about a year ago to form an Association and to act as feeders to the Railway instead of competitors. They had found that long distance runs were not a payable proposition and invited representatives of the Department to meet them and discuss the question of transport. Several meetings took place and eventually the Association agreed definitely to act as feeders of the Railway.

Prior to this, special cut rates for benzine had been instituted from Wellington to stations as far north as Marton and Woodville, from New Plymouth to stations to Patea, and from Wanganui to stations to Marton. The primary object was to eliminate the back loading for the lorries and the results have more than justified the reductions in rates.

Every effort was made to secure the butter and cheese output from factories, meetings of Directors of Dairy Companies being attended and the claims of the Department urged. Reductions were made where necessary to secure the traffic and in many cases the stipulation was made that the benzine traffic for the Dairy Factories should be placed on the rail.

An extensive canvass was undertaken for the wool traffic, woolgrowers being personally interviewed and quoted through rates from wool sheds to destination. The wool traffic in the Wanganui district already shows a large increase over last year.

The passenger traffic has also been exploited, and where a demand existed, Sunday trains were run. The Sunday trains from Hawera to the New Plymouth beaches and from Palmerston North to Foxton have been well patronised and very much appreciated by the public.

The steps that were taken to arrest the flow of traffic from the Railway have been fully justified by the results. The Wanganui district revenue is about £45,000 to the good compared with last year and apart altogether from this there is a very fine relationship existing between the public and the members of the Railway Service to-day due to the loyal, obliging and efficient way in which the Railway men have carried out the policy of the Department.

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