NEWS AND NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 294, 5 September 1908, Page 7

NEWS AND NOTES.

RAILWAY RUNNING. A further petition in regard to railway matters from Mr. Samuel Vailc, of Auckland, was presented to the Houso yesterday by Mr. Alassoy. Mr. Vailc states that sinco his previous petition was presented Jast month ho has received' "further information proving tho complete failure of our present system of railway administration, and also tho success of tho stage system." Tho railways statement for 1903, ho says, snows that whilst during last year £1,296,405 was added to tho capital cost of tho railways, a "d whilst tho mileago had been increased by seventeen miles, and the working expenses by £137,270, the result was ail increased revenuo of only £61. Ho goes on to say that tho most complete proof of. tho failuro of tho present system of administration is furnished by tho South Island railways. Tho report shows that tho capital invested by tho end of tho year increased by £519,14-. Six now miles were opened, 40,173 more train miles were run; and tho staff was increased by 661 men. " But notwithstanding this onorinous increaso in expenditure and facilities, tho business dono was much less than lihat during tho .previous year." In Mr. Vailo's opinion, "there surely must bo something fundamentally wrong in a system producing such results. If tho policy pursued were right, and founded on sound business principles, how was it possible that 661 more 'men and the additional rolling stock could bo required to deal with a much less amount of traffic?" Mr. Vaile says that tho statement that he had refused to havo the stage system as applied to goods traffic tried in New Zealand is absolutely untrue. On tho contrary he says, that ho has offered to every Government that has been in power during tho past quarter of a contury to lay down tho wliole system as regards ordinary passengers, season tickets, goods, and all other branches of traffic, but this has always been refused. "The Department," says Mr. Vaile, " has always tried to force your petitioner into trying the new system on every branch of traffic at the same time." Ho, know their object quite well, and declined to bo caught. They knew as well as lie did that, as regards goods traffic, for the first year or two it must mean a loss of revenuo on tiityfc branch. This he has always said must happen, because to increaso 'the output of goods tho reduction in freight must bo great, and timo must be allowed to increaso production. This, however, tboy could not, or would not, see. Their hope was that, as tho proposal was to put tho system on trial for a year, only, tho loss on goods would be so great as to discredit the whole thing. Mr. Vaile again asks that the Houso will order an immediate and unconditional trial of "Vailo's stago system."'

Mr. Baumo had occasion, last niglit to delino his relations with the No-Licenso and liquor parties. Mr. James Allen, discussing tho Second Ballot Bill, quoted tho figures of the last election in Auckland East, as follow: —Baume 2535, Bamford 166-1, Richardson 1129, and Way 103. The third candidate being a red-hot Prohibitionist, argued Mr. Alien, his votes would all have gone at a second ballot to Dr. Bamford, and Mr. Baumo wonld' have been defeated. This brought Mr. Baumo to his feet with tho statemont- that throe of tho leading men on his committoo woro No-License mon. He had incurred tho opposition of tho liquor party by voting against tho abolition of tho reduction issue. It was well known that his official connection with tho liquor party ceased ten years ago, and on tlio first occasion that ho stood for Parlaiment he had all tho organised strength of the party against him. Ho was prepared to tacklo anybody that camo along, and got a majority of 500 to 1000. The Select Committee on tho Friendly Societies Bill will commcnee taking ovidonco on Wednesday nest at 10.30 a.m. Those intorestod should communicato with the chairman, Mr. J. F. Arnold, M.P.