The Financial Aspect.

He had not said that he would make the railways pay. They were not built as a profit-making institution, but as a service institution to meet the requirements of the country. The department had to put the railways as an asset in the national balance-sheet and in that respect they would be made to pay, as they would give services that would be worth while to the country, which would not be able to do without that service.

It was the duty of the department to give the people the transport facilities upon which their existence depended, at the lowest possible cost. The solution of the railway problems was a job for the community, and they had to be met in the principle of co-operation. He and the staff had to co-operate internally, and the departmental officers and the customers had to co-operate externally. He believed the solution lay in a more adequate understanding of the intricacies of the transport problem. He hoped to discuss with them problems of mutual interest. He thought everyone would admit that the railways had done yeoman service. He hoped that in the course of the development of the spirit of co-operation (which was the solution of many problems to-day) it would be his endeavour, so far as one man could do anything, to come into contact with the people as much as possible. He trusted he would never settle any major question by correspondence. (“Hear, hear.“)