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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 2 (June 1, 1929.)

Educating the Public

Educating the Public.

Returning to the question of publicity generally, Mr. Sterling said that the Railways had to let the public know they had something to sell and all about it. “In regard to public transport, the Director of Publicity has to give the public a clear idea of how the business is functioning.” This latter aspect was all-important. A revolution had taken place in the circumstances surrounding the operations of transport and this important factor must be kept in mind.

A great deal of the Railway's difficulties was due to misunderstanding, confusion of ideas, and what he might describe as mental storms in the page 23 community. “This, I may remark,” said Mr. Sterling, “is not peculiar to our railways, but is liable to occur in connection with any business. We are endeavouring to convey to the people such knowledge as will enable them to understand perfectly the place of the railways in the social and industrial life of the people and how we function. Until that is done the difficulties will not be surmounted.”

Mr. Sterling said that railways were not the last word in transportation. Other factors had come in. Each had to be classified correctly and given that place in commercial life which it could best occupy in the community.

“We have definite knowledge,” said Mr. Sterling, “that many of our competitors are not working on an economic basis. There are many road hauliers that are doomed to economic extinction. As service on an uneconomic basis is contrary to the public welfare—it is really disservice—the publicity agent has to concentrate closely on the facts, make them known, and help things to settle down on a better basis.