VAILE'S RAILWAY REFORMS.

Evening Star, Issue 7643, 20 June 1888, Page 2

VAILE'S RAILWAY REFORMS.

The Reform Association of Auckland have drawn up a lengthy document, in which they vigorously protest against the burdens of the people being increased, and show in what further ways economies may be practised. In connection with railway administration they urge the extension of Vaile's system, and pay this tribute to its efficiency : Your Committee are of opinion that a very great reduction can be made in tl'e expanse of a n 'min ; ste.'ing our working railway*, and would direct attention to the fact ".. •; fo r the past nine months a system known as the Vaile system has been working successfully on the Whangarei-Kam ■> a ction. Your Committee bave carefully investigated the returns for the seven months ending th • 3rd March last, and the results are cert most surprising. They prove conclusively that a better financial result can be obtained by averaging fares and rates, and charging much lower prices, and they also reveal t v e astounding fact that on this 1 ne a saving in the working expenses has they made of 49 per tent. To business men it th s well-known fact tbat, if rightly odminisbeend, the relative cost of working a large conis a n is much less than that of working a small teree. If, therefore, 49 per oent, has baen saved in working a sepaiate and distinc section of railway of only seven miles in length, it is not too much to hope for equal, if no', greater, rosults from the whole of our railways. Foityhine per cent, on administering our en'ire cystem would mean reducing the taxation of the country by no loss a sum than L 336.790, Your Committee do not wish to pronounce an opinion as t) whether this great saving has been made by the change of system, but to direct attention to "tho fact that the change has been made and the saving effected, and that having regard to tho ver r adverse circumstances under which tho experiment has been carried out, it is reasonable to expect that at least equal resu'ts would be obtained from a similar change on the whole of our railways. Your Committee would also point out that under this *ystem the interior of tho country would be at onoe opened up for profitable settlement, and that a large nternal trade would be developed.