Where Nature gave to our country a crude pathway, man has constructed a railroad.

Over the flat-topped hills down to the valleys by the rushing streams, through great cliff sides down to hazy towns, the iron tracks lead. They stand a monument to New Zealand, and are immortal to the memory of those men who fought with that great courage that smiles and hides the despair within, in order that the transport and commerce of the future might be ensured. And we have read from time to time how here men gave their lives while tunnelling a way through the earth—or how here men died of fever while bridging a ravine. Yet, to-day, if we take a railway map we may note how thick upon it is the web of lines going in every direction. The work of the engineers stands firm and true over the years. For three thousand one hundred and eighty-odd miles stretch the lines—for which these men have shed their life's blood… .

Yet you and I, who travel so often by railroad, and who take so much for granted, never render thanks to our railways nor realise their great value in everyday life.

The National Transport System.

The necessity for efficient, safe and economical transport increases in proportion to the growth of the country. In the beginning the early settlers were faced with the primary consideration of their own immediate needs—clothing, shelter and food for themselves and their families. However, as the years passed and towns sprang up, the people turned their minds to commerce in its true sense—the interchange of commodities. The city man manufactured, while the man on the land produced, and a want of each other's wares was felt. Also, the opportunity of trading with other lands arose, if the products could be conveyed to the ports. The New Zealand Railways were proved in the past and will continue to prove in the future a highly efficient means of interchange and conveyance of goods.

Since its institution the Railways Department has remained true to its slogan—“Safety—Economy—Comfort.” It is ever ready to meet the occasion, no matter how exacting the demands.

Farmer and manufacturer, both large and small, appreciate the superiority of transport by rail. The page 25 motor van, admirable as it undoubtedly is for town transport, is far too expensive a proposition for transport on a larger scale. The capacity of even an out-size in motor vans is very limited, and therefore a fleet of them is required. As well as the initial outlay, it is a physical impossibility for this fleet of vans to be cheaper per running mile than rail. In 1927 the charge for one ton of goods for a distance of one mile was less than 21/2d. Moreover, the climate of New Zealand scarcely expedites transport by road. For certain periods of the year some of the main roads are in such a condition as to render them extremely dangerous for heavily laden vans, while the railway continues to offer

The Saturday Rush.
A busy scene on the Lambton Station, Wellington, New Zealand.

smooth, safe transport. Throughout the entire year the lines are watched by gangs of men whose sole duty is the care of the iron tracks.

To passengers the New Zealand Railways offer the maximum of comfort at the minimum of expenditure. There is a glamour in travelling by rail—the hurried farewells on the smoky platform—through the carriage window glimpses of the city disappearing into the haze of the distance—above the last tapering streaks of the sunset the evening star gleaming—and then the soft velvet of a starry night—while there is always present the exhilaration of the smooth speed of the great train as it flashes past fields of crops and slows to some sleepy, dimly-lit wayside station. The railroad holds a magic spell, and whosoever travels by rail must fall victim to it.

Indeed, those who have not travelled by rail know not what they have missed, for the smooth comfort and quiet efficiency of the railroad brightens the most tedious journey.

Holiday by Rail.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” as the old saying goes, and it is certainly true that everyone needs a holiday. At the same time it is also true that time means money to business people, and in these difficult times it is almost impossible for them to take a holiday. The Railway Department has solved this problem, and are now running week-end excursions at specially reduced fares.

These trips comprise visits to all places of interest and beauty in New Zealand, and their educational value is unlimited. It is surprising how many people live and die in a country without knowing anything of its nature. The Railway Department is helping the people to appreciate the beauty of the country in which they live, and at the same time enjoy a much-needed “playtime.”

The Links Unseen.

It is generally known that the New Zealand Railways have carried during the last two years 52 million people without one fatality.

To make this possible the signals must be kept in page 26 good working order, the lines watched continuously day and night, and the very latest and best apparatus used. Therefore there are only skilled workmen executing railway work on the lines or in the workshops.

In the roaring noise of the Railway Workshops rivets are hammered into great boilers and the locomotives assembled. Only the best of everything is used in these iron steeds, and by this means is safety ensured.

At the railway office new timetables are prepared to meet the changing demands of the different classes of the public, and at the stations these timetables are carried out.

Altogether there are over eighteen thousand five hundred people employed in the operation of the services.

These are the links unseen which go to make up our efficient system of national transport.

Helping Ourselves.

The New Zealand Railways are a Government Department, and therefore all profits go towards the improvement and progress of our country. Thus by travelling and transporting entirely through the railways we are helping ourselves.

To-day the Department is working under the universal handicap of financial stress, and as a result it has been necessary to minimise the constructional work of the railways. Certain lines lie unfinished waiting for better times. With a little capital these lines might be turned into healthy profit-producing channels. There is one source from which this capital can be obtained; the whole-hearted patronage of the New Zealand Railways by the people.

The True Value.

The railroads running the length and breadth of our country form the backbone to our industries. The Department, by courageous enterprise and sturdy industry has built a national transport system which rivals any other in the world. The nationalisation of our railways has rendered them a source of wealth to the country. By cherishing the transport in all its forms we may continue to keep it economical and efficient and to provide a still better material framework for the industries of the future generations.