Northern Standard (Darwin, NT : 1921 - 1955), Friday 11 March 1938, page 3


RAILWAY ECONOMY

(To the Editor)

Sir,- If I am not taking up, too much space in your reliable little paper, Iwould like , to voice my opinion on the economy drive oper-ating on this wonderful railway of

ours. My first trip along it happen- ed some three years ago; my sec-ond, quite recently; On my first trip it filled me with wonderment, and I could not understand how a

train could keep on the rails with square wheels. But I got a bigger shock on my recent trip, for the way she bumped, banged and buck-ed, I formed the conclusion that the wheels are now oblong. One must

admire those brave men who pilot the train to its destination, also the passengers. However, I gave my views to a railway man, and he in-

formed me the wheels were round and not square, and that the cause of my trips being so rough was be-cause the Commissioner was study-ing economy. ."Why don't you know'' he said; "that there are three or four, sometimes two men to 36. miles of line?" "But," I said, "that's false economy; and let me tell you that Mr. Gahan does not practise economy or he would not have pur-chased the air cooling plant in Eng-land at a muchf greater cost than it could have been bought locally for." "Well," he said,. "he economises this way: the fettlers work 8 hours

and 40 minutes, a day. Sanitary pans, rain coats,' phenyle, etc, . are

not supplied to them, and a utility manager is in charge, and his modus is 'Never mind the line, cut the costs'" "Now," I said, "isn't that economy ?" He informed me it was not, and that if Mr. Gahan wanted to economise he would put

gangs on every io miles to get the line in good order, and the saving on rolling stock and the extra pas-sengers induced to travel would help considerably, and then with the money saved a small branch line could be laid to that beautiful plea-

sure spot, Spring Vale. My friend agreed with me, and said he'd only been there, once. The Commissioner did save a bit whetti he shifted the gang from Rum Jungle to Adelaide River. You see the fettlers all had vegetable gardens, and I suppose he thought it would cost too much to provide water for them. So instead of growing vegetables they will now, be kept busy protecting themselves from i Singapore ants, and to prove this I think it would be a good idea for Mr. Gahati and his utility man-ager to put say, six weeks at the 46 Mile. There is too much temptation for them at the river.Yours, etc. ;

F.FURNISS.

"A Darwin Reader" writes : After reading "Capricornia," by Xavier Herbert, of Darwin, copies of which reached Darwin by the Merkur last month, my opinion is that the book is far too long, and although a num- ber of chapters are remarkably well

written, especially towards the end of the 6oo page, book, readers all agree that the whole plane of the book is on a very low level, with the making of the hero of the tale a Combo who uses the filthiest langu-age, has a very vile temper, and is

erratic "as a cut snake," an expres-sion used more than once in the

book. The climax of the story is reached when Norman, the hero, a half-caste station owner, is acquit-ted on a charge of murder by the Supreme Court. Writer agrees with the reviewer in a well known south-ern daily, that the book is extremely difficult to read, and the reader must have the patience, of Job to do so. Darwin, called Port Zodiac, for the convenience of the author, is the focal point of the story.