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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 10 (March 21, 1927)

[section]

That we New Zealanders are a united people has never been more strongly evidenced than during the wonderful tour through this country of Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of York. While each stopping place has had its special features—the fluttering human flag at Auckland, the hakas of Rotorua, the flowers of Timaru and the cheers of Dunedin—there has been no variation in the unanimity with which the people in every part have acclaimed the coming of the King's son and his charming lady. The cumulative impression of that unity is overwhelming.

In a world confronted with so many complex problems, it is a blessing to find some leading principle, such as this, in which there is no room for differences of opinion. In fact the reaching of unity on as many as possible of the multitude of questions which concern public welfare is necessary if progress is to be as rapid as the changing conditions of the times demand.

No more striking example of the benefit of such unity can be found than in British History. England, since the days of Alfred the Great, has made only one experiment in a form of government which excluded Royalty, and historians unite in recording how spontaneous was the outburst of joy with which, following the brief Commonwealth interregnum, the restoration of the Monarchy was greeted. The advantage of this deep-seated native conviction regarding the practical utility of our Empire's mode of government has been that whereas other less fortunately situated peoples have been distracted by dissension on this point, our unity has found us fully prepared for conquest in the arts of either peace or war with such nations as challenged competition.

A like unity is developing within the ranks of the Railway service regarding the main principles of transportation. There is a steadily increasing tendency towards agreement on essentials, a “will to win” unity which is forging the railway system of this Dominion into an increasingly efficient instrument for serving the carrying needs of the people. This is being aided by the spread of knowledge in many directions. Railwaymen are reading more, discussing more, and obtaining a more intimate knowledge not merely of their immediate jobs, but also of the principles underlying the whole science of transportation to which their individual work is, in a more or less important degree, related.

With the increase of knowledge is developing an appreciation of the need for unity in the way of thinking. The variety and capacity of human thought appears to know no limits—and that is what makes life so intensely and perennially interesting. But there is a right way of approaching any problem, and among the possibilities which the future of education amongst railwaymen holds in store, is the skilled concentration on every vital question by all concerned starting from the same certain basis of sure knowledge and accepted data.

Every forward movement now made in the direction of higher education for our members is assured of their united support. Proof of appreciation regarding what has already been done and of keenness for further knowledge is met in all parts of the country and amongst all grades of the service. Libraries are being built up and literature distributed, gatherings for discussion of railway problems are frequent, officers from overseas willingly impart their specialised knowledge, and New Zealand trained men who are given opportunity to study page 3 methods overseas help to raise the general standard of efficiency. The Universities are interested in the economic side of railway operating, and such leaders of thought as Professor Murphy of Victoria University College, Wellington, and Professor Tocker of Canterbury University College, are lending their aid in placing the art of railroading in its rightful place among the professions. By such means will unity of action in the railway service become as effective as that unity of thought among the people of the Dominion which made possible the recent most stirring series of welcomes accorded to Their Royal Highnesses.