SHALL WE SELL OUR RAILWAYS?

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 247, 17 October 1891, Page 2

SHALL WE SELL OUR RAILWAYS?

(To the Editor.)

Sik,—From what has appeared in your late issues 1 take it bhat there is a powerful English ayndicabo prepared to purchase our public ra'iiways, and T feel thab t,hi. is a subject worthy of the conpid*r«,tio» end di-Ou._if,'/i by Uie working- int-ii of thi. colony. Our prensivi Government hate intimated thab fchey are nob prepared to sell, but I take it thab it is for the people to say whether thoy shall sell or not, and a- honest men we ought to endeavour to pay off our public debts. The sale of our railwaywould not only mean the reduction of our liabilities, but the cessation of borrowing for any further extensions of linos, tho abolition of property and land tax, and sufficient revenue to enablo the colony to go into tho making ol roads to connect with the different points of the railway, tho proposed company undertaking bo spend one million pounds per annum for 5 yoars in addition. What would this all mean to tho working man ? Why, constant employment for many years to come and the general prosperity of the colony. Working men, think over this matter, and don't bo hoodwinked by those faddists who may tell you that by selling the railways you are disposing of your birthright. The honest working man wants employment. It ia here ; then accept it.—l am, etc., H. M. SiiEPitKßn. (To the Editor.) Sir,—ln your issue of Tuesday, I read with pleasure Mr Witheford's proposition for dealing with the New Zealand railways. I have conversed with a number of citizens on the subject, most of whom consider it a good scheme for the advancement of (our somewhat pauperised) New Zealand. In the first place, we find everything where capital is concerned in a state of stagnation. When will this end ? is a ploblem which the introduction of capital alone can solve. It is time something was done to bring the country into a bettor state financially.—l am, etc., Colonist. (To the Editor.) g IK) _I fully agree with the disposal of railways as the only thing likely to redeem us from our financial difficulty. It is evident that through the exodus of population our colony is getting worse and worse each week. I think this is the only way we can get back prosperity. By selling the railways, as it- is proposed, wo should have plenty of capital to give employment to every man now seeking work in vain. Country settlers would still have the convenience of railways as they havo now, only with more facilities combined. Further borrowing would only land us deeper in the mire.—lam, etc., Ratepayer. (To the Editor.) gjH—Your correspondent "Facts " states the case in re tho railways very fairly, but his deductions from those facts are fallacious. " Facts " thinks the railways should bo sold because we 'bid them to be a bad bargain. 1 believe it to be iinno-..ib10 to

work the New Zealand railways successfully on commercial principles, that is, to make a profit out of them which would satisfy a company of capitalists, on account of our populabion being so small. Sbill they may be advantageous as a means of getting our produce to market, and therefore it is necessary ,to \vork them even at a loss, in order to prevent a greater loss which would ensue if the lines were closed. The idea ot a syndicate of capitalists proposing to spend twenty millions of money in acquiring and extending a railway system which does not pay and cannot be made to pay, suggests tho thought that there is something behind this proposal which common people do not see or understand. Whab is it? The naive offer thab the Government shall fix the tariff completes the bewilderment of the ordinary mind seeking for mobivos. Do they see a chance of gridironing the land and appropriating tho unearned increment ? If you will allow me, sir, I would like to point out' another way by which the railways may bo mado a means of reducing taxation to a very large extent, while retaining them as State proporty. Pay all charges connected with working the railways, estimated to cost for the present year £678,000, wibh public service notes, i.e., notes which would bo received by the Government in payment for all Government services rendered to tbe public, and abolish taxation to the above extent annually. As the railway receipts alone amount to £1,080,000, while the postal a*nd telegraphic services absorb £.12,000, ib is evident tho £675,000 notes issued would not disturb the ordinary operations of production and exchange, but would be earned and absorbed by the public services named, and would return to the source from whence they wero issued after having performed all the functions of money, ing cost only'the value of tho paper and printing on them. Such a measure as thia would be an enormous relief to taxpayers and would bo perfectly safe, while wo should retain complete control of our railways and be able to use them in any way tho future may show to be desirable.—l am, etc., .-, " Practical.