Railway Methods

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 55, 28 November 1930, Page 13

Railway Methods

Sir,—ln your issue of November 24 there appears a letter on the above subject from “Onlooker," and if he was in daily touch with the railway as I am he would learn that there is nothing new in his complaint, for if it is not « Ministerial coach it will be Government officials on the “free” list, or our legislators who get paid for services by the country and yet take more out of the public revenue by getting free trans- , portation. • ■ , . . \ The railways are now increasing the fares on the general public who support the railways, and particularly on the routes that have proved to be paying, instead of keeping these at the present figure and increasing on the lines that are not paying, as would be done by sound business men, as the present advances on the main trunk lines will ultimately result in considerable travelling reductions. ’ . . Another injustice is the raising ot freights on commodities that are in most instances already showing the concern profits worth while, except where this ' public concern has reduced freights below working costs in order to “run” private enterprise off the market, forgetting that private enterprise is responsible for the railways being required at all.' Now the management of this concern should know the commodities carried that are hardly paying axle-grease "for the wheels that carry it; we have not seen any mention of there being any Increase. Why? . I think our Parliamentarians have too much latitude in the way of free travelling, and it is simply ridiculous to see some of our Ministers travelling in special cars to the detriment of the paying public, to say nothing of the extra expense Involved with which the public are debited. Evidently the men' supposed to be at the country’s helm do not themselves realise the precarious position of finances to-day, or if they do, why not give the people, a lead toward the economy it is necessary to practise? The suggestion that the railways should be taken away from all political control was the only hope to make them pay at least interest on the Capital, but the suggestion was too autocratic for the people’s representatives, and will always be so as long as the present form of franchise exists, for the bulk of voters do not care whether the rates of taxation are 2/- in the pound or IJ/b, as the property owner and the employer are the payers. . This present franchise will be our doom, and not alone ours but that of the British Empire, and the writing is appearing on the, wall even now.-I am, etc., VERITAS. Napier, November 24. "Commercial Traveller” also agrees with “Onlooker” that special carriages ■for. Ministers of the Crown and other ■ officials are not necessary m this supposedly democratic country.