The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1888.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5387, 28 November 1888, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1888.

Mr Samuel Vaii,e docs not beliovo in Railway Commissioners, mid he thinks their appointment to the iniiniiHfement of the railways in tho colony of Victoria bas been the cause of disaster. Mr T. Peacock, the member for Marsden, addressed his constituents the other day, and in tho course of his speech lie said " ho gave his adhesion to Die appointment of a non-political Board because of the success which had attended that scheme in Victoria ;it wus hopeless to expect the railways to pay until they were removed from political "influence." Mr Vuilo wants to know in what way they have been a success. He does not think their success lias been shown in the disastrous accidents that have occurred on them, and tho consequent heavy damages that have had to bo paid to the sufferers. Neither do they show any social success in having largely assisted to coneentrato the population of tho colony in Melbourne. Ho ventures to think they have tended to crush the country interests, which, in the end, " will yet make Victoria sbigger to its very foundations." As to their financial success Mr Vnilo .-ays that, "in March last, he published a paper in which it was shown from the Victorian Commissioner's own report for ISS7. that in that year their lines earned .17 per mile less thun they did in IKSO, whilo their workinjr expenses had increased by .til per mile. In ether words, as regards revenue, their railways have shown a falling off of £20 per mile, which iseijual to jfol/JJj'j in one year, mid that year tlie niosf, prosperous one "Victoria had ever had. There is another very important item whirh has been overlooked i:i this matter. The six per cent, railway debentures have been converted into 1 per cent, debentures. This means a gift to tho commissioners of £I'>B,'>'J2 per annum. If they had had to pay the same rate of interest that their predecessors had, whero would their financial success have jj B( . n p u o f oro talking about success it is necessary tv lpok into the.-w things a little." Mr Vaile tlieu goesoutosayi-f'The fact is, Melbourne —not V i.jtorm—is experiencing just tho same kind of prosperity that Auckland city did dunng tho Maori war. AVo all knowhow city and suburban properties run up in value ; how freely inonev circulated, and. most of us havo ii painful recollection of what followed. Auckland's temporary prosperity was due to war, forcing tho bulk of her country population jnto the city mid suburb*. Melbourne , !* upurt is mainly duo tv her wicidal railway policy fUtclinjr the same thing." On these grounds Mr. Vaile opposes the •WlWf>f{tu.jnt of a Railway Commission for tii6 l>ew '/jculauii milwufi, ;;;•'! he, bdinves that it will be a more bitter f *u Mp "to "thp iwtyuy cnun tbe property tax. "lip wants to know what is to be filled by it. for, wlp.lo the railways may bo rempveu fron, lioiitWH influence, Parliament will retain tho powsi- ai railways. Then the removal of political Jufliieucp frpij, flic niunag-eiucnt of tho railways' siniply inenMS tjiat ihiif, y r }]hn>iu:Q will imfc bo brought to bear in the selection and payment of employes. To rid politicians of the powpr f> exercfse {hciy jn)Juenop jn thjs lespoot, the proposal in to appoint a Comnijssiim which 13 to have an existence of nvo yearn. Tins ttiapearu to Mr. Vailo to be very like v man clioppincr gft , Jjia bund to fret" ridof a wart on it: He says if (his be il.'u objt-ct, why not appoint the Ijenera'

Manager for five years, and give him the power to, se ect the employes, and fix the tha"wr,^ On v, We arVof' opi nion that tto. would not be at all a bad system. At mL?h c \* , WOuld be bett <* thaQ *>r nTI? s .°? Parliament to keep running to wj?ra- Bte !' ° f the <%■*> get navvies' o3?w SO as t0 Becure thtir votes at a though we have'agrSS fflffit Mr' fflfe has Baid ***^ffl£.S£