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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 6 (October 1, 1928)

Moving With The Times

page 58

Moving With The Times

The organisation and working of the railway system of New Zealand formed the subject of an interesting address given by Mr. E. Casey, North Island Divisional Superintendent, at a recent luncheon of the Karangahape Road (Auckland) Business Promotion Society. Referring to the intensive publicity campaign upon whch the department had now embarked (and in which it hoped to co-operate with the Tourist Department) Mr. Casey said that it was “hoped shortly to open up-to-date offices for this purpose in the present Government Life Insurance Building in Queen Street, Auckland. In these offices would be contained adequate booking facilities for the Railway Department as well as offices for the Tourist Department. This would do away with the very serious inconvenience under which the railway staff was at present working in the old station building behind the post office. The department aimed at providing adequate space for the transaction of its business and the erection of the new station in Mechanics' Bay showed it was realised Auckland was badly in need of additional transport facilities.

“The growth of the railways had been marked by a considerable apathy on the part of the North Island to undertake the provision of railway facilities during the regime of the Provincial Governments,” continued Mr. Casey. “The first railway in New Zealand was a line from Christchurch to a suburb three and a half miles away. This was completed in 1863. The Penrose to Onehunga line was completed in 1873, and two years later the Auckland to Mercer line was finished. It was not until 1880 that the Newmarket to Henderson line was completed.”

Commenting upon the human aspect of the service Mr. Casey said that at the present time the staff of the Department totalled 18,000. Each man was allotted a card, on which was recorded his good deeds and his misdemeanours, and marks were given for merit and demerit. The old system of fines had now been abolished, but a careful check was kept on the balance preserved between the different sets of marks on an employee's card. Fifty years ago the rule book of an English railway company forbade its employees to whistle, sing or wear red garments, in case the enginedrivers thought they were being signalled. They were given to understand that those who went to church regularly would be considered for promotion.

“We have endeavoured to break down that spirit and to make the service more human in its internal and external relations,” Mr. Casey said. “We are trying to introduce the personal touch. In other words, we invite suggestions and criticism of a constructive kind, and we look to the people for help during the trying times through which the public's transport system is passing. It is your system as much as mine, and if it does not pay we will all have to put our hands in our pockets at the end of the year.”

To Stamp Collectors

Mr. Carroll Jackson, of 1920 Jefferson Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A., who is attached to the office of the Auditor of Disbursements, Great Northern Railway, St. Paul, is desirous of establishing exchange relations for postage stamps with fellow collectors in New Zealand.

Mr. Jackson writes that if anyone interested will send a collection of used or unused postage stamps from any countries, particularly New Zealand and neighbouring Islands, he will immediately return a collection of equal value from his country or others, if desired.