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Hastings Standard, Issue 512, 29 December 1897, Page 2

We had thought that we had almost exhausted the railway question. _ But it appears we have not. The Rimutaka Incline is a source of trouble and annoyance. With through traflic coming from the West Coast and Hawlte's Bay the engines on the Rimutaka are quite inadequate. They cannot do the work. Hence thedelaysexperiencedof late. The Railway Department will pardon us if we offer a suggestion. At the present time the express train leaves Wellington for Napier at about eight o'clock in the morning. This so-called express calls at every small station on the line from Wellington to Masterton. Now, why not run a passenger train from Wellington to Masterton, starting from the city at the present hour and calling at small stations by the way. The express could then leave Wellington an hour later, call at say only the Hutt and Kaitoke, and pick up intermediate passengers for the Bush and northern parts at Masterton. This would not only relieve the congestion, but would provide us with something approaching an express train, which would reach Napier at the proper hour. There will always be delays on the Rimutaka, and, although our suggestion will meet a difficulty, we consider that the expense of traffic over the Incline will fully warrant the Government in diverting the line in the direction it should have gone in the first place.

A correspondent, " Fair Play," takes us to task over our article on fire insurance. He asks why the State should run fire insurance at a loss for the sake of Hastings. That is not the point. The point is, why should Hastings pay higher rates for insurance than other townships ? Compare life insurance. If there is a higher percentage of deaths in Hastings than in Napier, the premium rates are not increased in the former township on life policies. Why should they be on fire policies? We do not complain of fire insurance companies making profits. But we do think that it would be to the advantage of the colony if those profits were kept in our own territory instead of being sent elsewhere, as is too frequently the case. We still maintain that the Government should undertake fire insurance, for it is in a position to save money to insurers. This is a matter of simple calculation, and must be apparent to all. If the Government Life Department did not materially reduce the premiums, it at anyrate reduced expenses, and thereby secured increased profits to insurers. If we can secure this much in fire insurance, we will have something upon which to congratulate ourselves. We see no comparison between private undertakings and public concerns. In the former case prices are regulated by competition. In the case of insurance companies they are not.

We fully appreciate the object of the telegram in another column giving the opinion of the N.Z. Times concerning the Rimutaka Incline and the railway block. Of course, as the Times suggests, if passengers are choked with smoke fumes, it would be only proper on the part of the Government, in the interests of humanity, to encourage people to travel via Manawatu. But this alleged choking, from the same engines, and on the same Incline, has been going on for years, and 110 serious consequences have been reported. As a matter of fact the choking business is all " smoke." It would be interesting to know what consideration, if any. the Manawatu Company is giving the N.Z. Times and the Press Association for circulating this absurd ruse.