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Railway Progress in New Zealand
General Manager's Message

Some unwarranted criticism has recently appeared in certain papers regarding the speed and cleanliness of trains on the New Zealand Railways and the facilities provided for the comfort and convenience of passengers.

This criticism has evidently been made without adequate knowledge. Indeed, I am reliably informed that a visitor whose statement to the Press within the last fortnight was given much prominence, and who (unfortunately) left New Zealand the day his statement appeared, made only one journey on a New Zealand train, and that by a “mixed service” which conveyed him and his car from Springfield to Otira (50 miles)—thereby enabling him to avoid the trip by road over Arthur's Pass. Some further information on the matter should therefore be of public interest.

The subject of train speeds is, of course, one which no general statement can cover, if it is desired to make a comparison of any value between the achievements of one country and another. There are too many factors of dissimilarity.

The fact stands out, however, that when the youth of this country is considered, when the comparative smallness of its total population (about equal to that of one of the larger Australian cities) is taken into account, and when due allowance is made for the quite extraordinary engineering difficulties (due to the physical features of the country) which had to be surmounted in laying some of the lines, the record of achievement of the New Zealand Railways is one in which every New Zealander has just cause for pride.

We have the evidence of our own people who have travelled overseas, and of a host of visitors who have actually used our services, and particularly of those with knowledge who are in a position to make comparisons, that in the matter of speed, cleanliness and convenience the Railways here hold their own with those of other countries of similar standing. This must be said in justice to those who have made our Railways what they are, and those who work them now.

Needless to say, further improvements are being made as circumstances warrant, and any well-informed criticism is welcomed by the Department; but the people of New Zealand, who are showing their appreciation of the Railways by steadily increasing patronage, have every reason for confidence in the capacity of their own transportation system to meet adequately the transport needs both of themselves and of any visitors from overseas who are prepared to use them.

In this, the largest industrial enterprise in the Dominion, it is inevitable that occasions will arise when legitimate cause for complaint may occur, or where suggestions for improvement can be profitably made. I would therefore appreciate it very much if members of the public would come to the Department's assistance on such occasions, and I can assure them that such assistance will be accepted in the helpful spirit with which it is tendered.

General Manager.