The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and Echo. SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1888.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 142, 16 June 1888, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and Echo.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1888.

Tor tlio cause that lacfc:. assiatance, For tho wrongf that nec.cis resistance, Tor tho future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The spirit of retrenchment and selfdenial in the matter of public expenditure which is abroad has, perhaps, never been more strikingly exemplified than in a proposition which is strongly advocated by the "Waikato Times," the leading organ of public opinion in that important district. Not very long ago, a tremendous outcry arose against the discontinuance of the daily train to Te Aroha, although it was proved that the number of passengers did not average half-a-dozen per day, and a tri-weekly service would satisfy all the reasonable requirements of the district. The Department was, however, inexorable, and the residents of the district had to submit. The extraordinary proposition to which we would now direct attention is the voluntary suggestion by the representative newspaper in the district of a. triweckljr service only for the whole of the Waikato. The "Times" states that there has been a growing feeling throughout the district lately that they have been " over-trained," so to speak. Day after day engines are dragging empty carriages about the district, and a saving of many thousands • per annum could bo effected by knocking off some of the daily trips.

We have given this phase of our position great consideration for some time back (says the "Times"), and, in view of the existing railway policy, which appears unalterable, and the economic necessities of the country, we have come to the conclusion that the running of daily and bi-daily trains to Waikato should be suspended. If the department cannot fill a train every c l a y_and ib is declared that it does not pay to rnn a, train unless ib is full—then they may succeed better by running a tri-weekly train service. A daily service from Auckland to Huntly is, no doubt, necessary, and warranted by the extent of the coal-mining industry in that district. Beyond that, to all points on the Waikato lines, a tri-weekly passenger and bi-weekly traffic services \yould meet all the requirements of the present time. The question of mail communication, however, could be met by organising a trolly service from Huntly to Hamilton on the intervening days, and thence to To Awarautu, Cambridge, and Te Aroha respectively.

Now, while we cannot too highly commend the spirit displayed in this proposal, and wish it were more universal, we think the settlers of Waikato would make a grievous mistake if they endorsed it. The loss of a daily train service will undoubtedly entail upon them very great disadvantages, and some pecuniary loss. In making business visits to the city they will be subjected to not a little inconvenience and additional expense and the district will be less favourably circumstanced as regards travellers and future settlers. Looking to the fact that this is now the route to the Hot Lakes, and that the railway opens up a vast agricultural territory, we do not considerthatthediscontinuanceofadaily train would contribute to thepermanent interests of either the Waikato or the railway itself. For the last twenty years there has been daily passenger communication with Waikato, and it would be extraordinary indeed if the extensive and populous districts which are now tapped by the Hue cannot support such a service. As a matter of fact, the report on working railways for ISS7-88 shows a better result than for the preceding year, notwithstanding the length of non-payiug extensions that have been tacked on to the line, to the disadvantage of the settled districts. The net revenue, applicable to the pa.yment of interest for 1888, was £23,950 against £19,228 for 1887. To stop the daily train would, we believe, operate most disastrously upon the business interests of Waikato in every way. As regards the Hot

Lake traffic.such a change would revive

the Tauranga route, travellers finding it often more advantageous to leave Auckland at night by steamer and reach Kotorua the following night, than to lose an extra day in Auckland. Citizens who are in the habit of visiting Waikato would be similarly compelled to curtail the number of their excursions, in consequence of the train service failing to fall in with their other engagements, and to settlers who have business in town the delays would be very serious. If good reason had been shown for the step, we would gladly support our contemporary in urging it upon the Department, but the proposal is clearly a retrogressive one that must, if adopted, prove very damaging to the agricultural and business interests of the North.