RAILWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 148, 24 June 1889, Page 2

RAILWAYS.

VICTORIAN CHIEF COMMISSIONER ? INTERVIEWED. X ; I Among the passengers by the mail eteamer Marippsa, which arrived from San Francisco on Saturday, was Mr Speight, Chief Commissioner of Railways for has been to America on a tour of inspection of railways, and is now returniug* , also Mr Goodchap, ex-Railway Com' missioner of New South Wales, who resigned that office when the railways were put under control of a nonpolitical board, and who has since bgeSi' elected .to the New South Wales Parlifti-. ment. D»riner their brief stay in towi '"'■' both gentli men put up at Mr Gallagher's Imperial Hotel. ' .> ;■■ Mr Speight was interviewed by. a Stak representative r with the object) of ascertaining his views on the , American railroad system, as compared with those of the Old Country and the' colonies. .He did not think it "would be right for him to enter into particulars; I: : Mr Speight said that on his return to Melbourne by the Mariposa he would, not make any formal repoHto the Government!. The railways there being managed by Commissioners, he would place what information he had obtained before his col;, leagues, and ib would he for them and himself to adopt whatever course of action they deemed best.

His attention was specially directed in the States to the methods of transporting fruity dairy produce, and ooher perishables on the railways there. He was prepared torecomi mend a system of traffic in Victoria which would vastly increase the productive areai " of dairies, and afford the greatest facilities: to farmers to increase the prosperity of >:: the country districts. The boudoir carriages should also be adopted ;••? for transcontinental travel in Australia. 1

Speaking generally Mr Speight saidthat he had travelled over 15,000 miles; of American railway, and observed their' system of management, particularly with re-■ gard to perishable produce. One of the dif.. ficulties'they had to deal with in Australia; was the conveyance by rail of perishable:; produce, owing to climatic influences.! ; He found that the Americans had concUV tions of transit that were very similar toL those which prevailed in Australia. It was! his intention to utilise what he had ob-j | tamed as to the American method of carryi; ing perishable produce, because he was satis-; ■ fied ib was the best. Experience had taught). ! the Americans what they should do in thab'V direction, but in other respects they could 1 learn a thing or two from Victoria. - M Mr Speight was asked to enter into par-v ticulars, but declined to do so, remarking! that in this instance " comparisons would}; be odious." On being invited to speak of the: ■ respective merits of the railway systems ofjl Ameiica and the Old Country, Mr Speight; said the conditions were very differenbil the English railways being ..all managed j'i on competitive lines, while in America! they liad special services betweenl. special places. Upon the main lines': \ in America the boudoir Eervice was a very! nice mode of travelling, and enabled them! to afford such facilities to the public as; were not possible under the English system; of compartment travelling. .;* There were many things in with their principal services which could v with advantage be adopted in Australia. -

Speaking of the appointment of Rail-' way Commissioners, Air Speight seemed; interested in the appointment; recently i made by the Government of this- - colony. Hβ was asked whether he : did not think that it would have beea'possible to have obtained a commis-i sioner for this colony at £3,000 a year,! the Government having justified thehv appointment of Messrs McKerrow, Max;,. well, and Hannay by the statement-'. that they could not get a railway expert j outside the colony to accept of the appoint-"' I ment for the sum offered. Mr Speight said that it would no doubt be a difficult; matter to secure at a salary of £3,000 a man 1 who had mature experience on English railways and whose position was determined by his experience there. No doubt a man could be obtained to ac« cept the post at the remuneration offered, but it was.quite another question as to., ; whether or not the appointment would.f prove advantageous to the colony. # The interview terminated with the cvis* tomary acknowledgments.