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Notes of the Month

By “Service.”

There are, at the present time, four men doing yeoman service for the New Zealand Railways on the principal overseas passenger vessels trading to and from these shores. They are the mail officers on the Wellington-Raratonga-Papeete-San Francisco run, and on the Auckland-Suva-Honolulu-Vancouver route.

Although on the staff of the N.Z. Postal Department, Messrs C. B. Tasker (R.M.S. Makura), J. C. Greig (R.M.S. Maunganui), W. E. Carter (R.M.S. Niagara); and M. W. W. Cummins (R.M.M.S. Aorangi) sign on as ship's officers for each voyage, and take their place, after the fashion of the men who go down to the sea in ships, at “fire stations,” boat drill, etc., as well as in the dinner dress parade when formality is the order of the day.

Before undertaking railway publicity work for the N.Z.R., the Department sent these officers, some months back, on a tour of the principal scenic, health, sporting and other tourist resorts of the Dominion. As a result they are able to talk the wonders of New Zealand with fluency and, what is more important, first-hand knowledge of the country.

Many a passenger setting off from America for Honolulu or Australia has been lured by the tales of these N.Z. propagandists to extend his tour to include our Dominion, and always on the way home such visitors take opportunity to tell the mail agent how delightful they have found this Brighter Britain.

The Publicity, Tourist and Railway Departments combine to provide the mail agents with ample supplies of literature, and these are distributed en voyage where they will do most good. Then each mail agent has a notice up giving the times at which he may be consulted upon N.Z. travel matters; lectures are given at suitable times upon the Dominion's attractions and potentialities; and moving pictures, prepared by the Government Publicity Department, are screened on certain of the vessels.

Much business to the N.Z. Railways results from the operations of these eminently practical and efficient “personal contact” specialists, and the Dominion reaps the benefit of their interest-creating influence upon travellers all up and down the wide Pacific.

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Anyone who has studied the question of mob psychology is aware of the wonderful stimulation to the intelligence and capacity of the mass when all can be brought to think in one direction upon any question. It is, perhaps, the idea of bringing this effect to bear upon the welfare of the N.Z. Railways that has induced the General Manager to institute four-weekly conferences of branch officers at headquarters.

Here the whole of the Department's operations come under review, and of the members it may be said, in the Byronic phrase, that “each turns counsellor to each.” Instead of every branch ploughing a lonely furrow, having no contact or established relationship with other furrows in the field, the conference makes possible team work of the best kind to accomplish a definite end—the whole weight of the Department's knowledge, skill and enterprise intelligently applied to solving the great transport problem of the Dominion.

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Farmers’ trains continue to surprise the people of the various districts by their increasing popularity. “Too popular,” was the heading given by the “N.Z. Herald” to its article upon the running of the farmers’ excursion from Whangarei, when the crowds were so great that the Agricultural Department's special exhibition car had to carry the overflow of farmers intent on visiting the Waikato Winter Show at Hamilton.

Then the South Island excursion, from the West Coast to Dunedin, proved a great success in every respect, and the experimental excursion from Frankton to Palmerston North Show attracted a total of over three hundred—necessitating a rapid organisation of accommodation resources to deal with the unexpectedly heavy influx of visitors.

Special literature was distributed on the trains, and the Passengers, Agricultural and Publicity agents, who travelled with the farmers, helped to add to the glad feeling of holiday freedom that is so essential a feature of these organised excursions. The general effect is to add to the popularity of travel by train and to encourage the producers to increase their knowledge of the country's progress by group travelling to other regions.

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The dynamic energy of the new General Manager is adding in a marked degree to the confidence of both public and staff in the ultimate success of railway administration.

Arriving in Wellington for the first time after accepting his new job, Mr. Sterling travelled down on the engine of the Limited. It is currently rumoured that although he spoilt a good hat, he gained information, regarding the work of the men who drive our speedy expresses, worth the price of many hats.

He is carrying out the policy right through of getting down to the men who do the jobs and gaining their advice, support, and co-operation. Thus he consulted representative shunters in regard to a notion for new couplings, and established social relations with them at their recent annual smoke concert.

Mr. Sterling is just back from the muchdiscussed Middleton yard, having personally inspected the operations and talked over the pros and cons of marshalling with individual shunters engaged on the job. From that he turns to the public, and gives a definite statement of his intention to provide the best service at the lowest price of which the organisation is capable, and claims, in return, the interest and backing of the public in the development of this pivotal State-owned service.

That he will get it no one doubts; for the public, take it by and large, recognises and loyally supports any leader possessed of organising ability who gives evidence of capacity to handle affairs of public import along the right lines.

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It was a happy idea that drew together the Railways, Publicity, Industries and Commerce, and Tourist Departments in a combined effort to show the public of New Zealand the work carried on by the Overseas Publicity Board, on which they are represented. The effort has taken the form of an exhibit at the principal Shows of the Dominion, which has earned high enconiums from the public and press. Industries and Commerce show graphically by posters and illuminated slides the growth and scale of trade and industry within the Dominion. Tourist and Publicity depict the places of interest and travel facilities of the Dominion, whilst Railways are represented by a realistic car interior, through the windows of which a moving panorama of beautifully painted landscape is seen, a touch of humour being added by light suggestions of typical road mishaps. Mr. W. J. Thompson, of the Railways Advertising Studio, who has an aptitude for, and extensive knowledge of, this kind of exhibit, worked out the details of the scheme and arranged the erection of the display at Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North and Hawera, where it has already been exhibited. It is understood Wellington and the South Island will be included in this season's itinerary.

Arising out of this comes a proposal to group together all the Government Departments in one locality at the Wellington Winter Show. The idea is at present being worked out by an inter-departmental committee and should enable a most impressive and harmonious display to be made at a minimum cost.

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