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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 11 (March 1, 1928)

Railways and Traders. — Statement by British Transport Minister

Railways and Traders.
Statement by British Transport Minister.

In view of the setting-up of an expert committee to make investigation with a view to the inauguration of transport control within the Dominion, it is interesting to have the opinion of the responsible Minister in Britain, Colonel Wilfred Ashley, M.P., the Transport Minister, upon the new Railway Act adopted for the Home railways:—

“The Railways Act of 1927 has in effect made the traders partners with the railways companies,” he said, in reply to the toast of “Trade and Commerce” at the annual dinner of the Cardiff Chamber of Trade. The new scheme of rates and charges under the Act came into force on January 1st and the Railway Rates Tribunal has finished its truly gigantic task.

“The Act assumes that the trader is concerned to know how the railways are being worked,” continued Coloney Ashley, explaining the provisions. “Not only has every trader an interest in the efficient and economical working of the railways, but he can do something to assist efficiency and economy. The Act required the companies to make a return of certain statistics to the Ministry of Transport, and the advantages of this scheme was that there was on record a body of authoritative data by means of which the companies could be put to the challenge, and could justify and explain to the traders and to the tribunal the fruits of their management.”