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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 11 (June 1, 1930)

[section]

In New Zealand there was another fact that they had to keep in mind when they were making use of the words “Making the Railways Pay.” The whole difficulty in viewing the railway situation was the interpretation of that term. It might mean making them pay as an abstract commercial proposition or it might mean as a community investment. The difference was vital to a clear conception of the railway position. If the railways were to be made an abstract proposition all consideration of social and developmental benefits from the scheme of railway rates had to be taken away.

If the railways were viewed as a community investment, giving returns to the community of various kinds, some financial and some in the direction of development, or sound service in some other direction, it had to be admitted that the railways did very adequately pay. He mentioned that both on the passenger and goods side the management was guided by a desire to give adequate service to make it worth people's while to use their own railways, but he felt that while there was a responsibility on them as workers of the railways there was a reciprocal responsibility on the part of the people as shareholders and potential users of the railways.—Mr. H. H. Sterling.

No one could stand up at any particular moment and say there was nothing further to be done on the expenditure side. The efforts to secure reduction of expenditure and greater measure of economy were not static in their nature but dynamic.