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Railway Progress in New Zealand.
General manager's message.

During the past month I have had many good opportunities for personal discussion upon railway matters with users of the rail, particularly in the course of a fortnight's travel by rail-car in the North Island while accompanying the Hon. Minister of Railways on a tour of inspection.

Apart from the great variety of subjects dealt with, a feature of the trip which impressed me strongly was the very high regard in which members of the railway staff are held by the public amongst whom they live and work.

It was notable that in 2,500 miles of travel, with stops every few miles, not one complaint of a personal nature against any member of the Railway Department was received by me. On the other hand, at station after station, I found representatives of business interests and members of the travelling public laying special stress upon the good service given them by the railwaymen in their locality.

In the midst of the general problems of management confronting the Department at the present time, this universal testimony from outside sources that the staff is solidly backing up the efforts of the management on behalf of the public is very gratifying, for it shows that members of the staff are in sympathy and are keeping pace with the management through all the changes which the circumstances of the times require.

There was a time when railroading remained comparatively stabilised for years on end. Those days have gone by. The basis of the railway system remains the same—sound engineering practice in the design, construction, and maintenance of everything used on the railways, strict adherence to the rules to ensure safety in the conveyance of passengers and freight, and professional skill and judgment in planning the scheduling and operating the running of all trains. But new features, such as the co-ordination and operation of road services, the introduction of rail-cars, and spreading information regarding the many services the railways now perform on behalf of the public, have added greatly to the diversity of a railwayman's activities. It is a good proof of the high quality of railwaymen generally that they have been able to “make good” in all these new directions without losing any of their ability as railwaymen in the essentials of their profession.

Another impression I gained in the course of my inspection was the feeling of hope existing amongst the staff, indicating that, with the introduction of new methods of transport and the changed conditions in the industry, they now find more satisfaction in their outlook than has been the case for several years past. This is, I think, a very important feature of the railway situation at the present time, and has a bearing on the welfare of the country as a whole.

General Manager.