The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, JULY 2, 1888.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5260, 2 July 1888, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. MONDAY, JULY 2, 1888.

Our readers may remember that somo short time ago wo referred to the proceedings of tlio Auckland Chamber of Commerce, in tho course of which it wos stated that Mr Vaile's tariff system had been adopted on tho Whangarei-Kamo railway with marked success. Tho following letter published in tHo New Zealand Herald throws somo additional light on the subject:—Mr Vailo must indeed bo desperate when he is driven to writing as ho does about tho Whangarei Railway, in proof of the soundness of his stage system of fares. Ho tells tho publio that the recent saving in working expenses has been over 40 por cent., and implies that this is nearly, if not entirely, owing to the adoption of the uniform faro, whereas it is owing to the stoppage of the coal traffic, and to that only. Why does ho not tell us also that the net revenuo has fallen from nearly £800 to £80 P This is a fact. Of course, it would bo easy (as he says) to effect a similar, saving on all our lines by the simple process of ceasing to carry anything, and with a similar result to "the net revenue as the above. Then he quotes the old fares as going as high as ls 2d and ls 9d, but omits to say that these were the return fares. Tho simple fact of tho matter is that, as the traffic was decreasing, and as very fow indeed travelled the whole length of the line, but only from the wharf to Whangarei or from Whangarei to Kamo, and vice versa, the fares were raised to 6d and 9d for all journeys, with the result that tho proportionate receipts wero greater. Then he says that if tho uniform fare pays on a short line it must pay bettor on a long one. This is oxaotly where tho fallacy of his whole scheme comes in. Still ho dosn't soe it, or won't admit it. Whioh is it ?