OUR RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS AND THE HUNGARIAN ZONE TARIFF.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9144, 30 August 1892, Page 4

OUR RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS AND THE HUNGARIAN ZONE TARIFF.

Sir,—l notice that- in a subleader in your issue of the 18th instant you state that the Railway Commissioners have written to you to say that they never at nny time have said that the Hungarian system was a financial failure. It is therefore a question of the Railway Commissioners' truthfulness or mine. To go fully into this matter wonld weary your readers, and occupy more space than you can afford. I will therefore be brief, but will now say that I urn prepared to bring forward prided proofs of my statements; not mere assertions as the Commissioners give us. The facts are these. In_ July, ISS9, I received from England the information that the "zone" system would be put in force iv Uungary ou the Ist August following. Without waiting for results I at ones wrote a description of the system as we then understood it, and also used these words, "As to tbo fioancial outcome, /or soino years, probably many, it will be a great success, but owing to the concentration on one centre it will gradually wear itself out and a better stage system will take its place." (See N. Z. Htrald, 23rd July, 18S9), From this view I havii never departed. Yet in September, 1890, all three Commissioners joined in reporting to Parliament that I said "very small financial improvement " could be expected from this system. (See Parliamentary paper D2a, 1890.) From time to time tho Commissioners Imro issued leaflets di> iling with l\\°> Hungarian system, the evident intention of which was to prove that it was, and must be, n failure. In their report for IS9I tney discuss the zone system, and amonc other remarkable things they say this: "It is generally supposed that there Is some gain to tho trjnvlliup; public in the system itself. This, however, is doubtful. The advantage in most cases which has accompanied the zone system, bnt which i« independent of it, consists in the reduction of fares." "I'he zone system is merely the mechanical part of dcalini/ with titled times anil fares, and we should not gain by its adoption." "It would be of no practical moment to the public whether the lowered tares aro compntcd nu the mileage sjßtem, or on an irregnlar zone »yßtem, or on one based on square roots, or on a complex one." I should myself describe this as mere railway jargon. If it means anything, it means that it does not matter in the least on what principle, or want of principle, railway fares and rates are basod. As an exhibition of a thorough want of knowledge of the social and commercial effect produced, not only by the zone, but by every other system, it is simply deplorable, When such men govern our chief commercial institution It is no wonder we suffer severely 1 In November, IS9I, the Commissioners issued as a leaflet n reprint of an article from the Railway News of the sth September preceding. This article asserts among olher things that the Hungarian Finance Minister stated "in a recent report on the financial position, that the Hungarian State railways showed for the first nix months of the current year (1S91) a deficiency of £1SO,OOO." the writer then gots into elaborate figures to make it appear that, of the 153 per cent increase obtained in passenger traffic during seventeen months, 83 per cent of thii increase was not due to the zone tariff", but would iv any ease have arisen from the natural expansion of the trnflie only. Then follows this remark : "Finau cially the trial, however, seems to be a failure, and railway companies in other countries will find no inducement to follow in the footsteps of the enterprising Magyar Government." The Commissioners scattered this leaflet broidcast over the colony ; they procured its re publication in our leading journals ; they sent it to onr prominent citizens; they sent me two copies. On the 13th November, IS3I, they sent this leaflet to the Premier with the following among other lemarks:—" Enclosed is an extract from the Hallway News quoting ollicial figures to show that the Hungarian zone system has been a financial failure," "Re" (S. Voile) "is in error in suggesting as he does that the Hungarian zoue system has t^en a financial success." Theie statements are made in an official letter sent to the Premier, and if it ie not saying that the Hungarian system has failed financially, then the English language has lost its meaning. In the report for 1892 tho abovementioned correspondence with tbo Premier is referred to, and the statements therein made are rep'iated. If the Commissioners did not adopt and endorse the statement of the Railvxty News, what light had they to fiend it to the Premier as "official •' information, and what right had they to put the country to the expense of printing nnd circulating it ? Their object was clearly to discredit the new system. If the Commissioners were really imposed upon by this article they only give us another proof of their conspicuous want ot the ability we h.id n right to expect to find iv men occupying their exalted pnMton. At the very first reading I detected the imposition, and at once wrote exposing its gro«s inconsistency and want of troth. (See N.Z. Herald, 18th Novemher, 1891.) Tho raal truth is this, the Railway Commissioners (the unme men for the last twelve years) from tho very first decliued to investigate the stage system. To them it appeared absurd, and they sought to put it down by ridicule, worry, delay, and the grossest of misrepresentation. Now that actual results have proved the soundness of the principles I have contended for, tbpy find themselves in a corner they do not know how to get out of, and hence their present denial of their former utterances. 1 have sometimes been told that the language I u?e towirds the Commissioners is "abominable," seeing that they are high officials who cinnot defend themselves. This is a mistake. They aro not ollicials, but are placed above all iuw, and the Pre=s is open to them as it is to everyone else. For my own part 1 have never asked for anything but fair treatment and that I have never received from the rnilway authorities. The day, however, is not far ofl when this couutry will realise how much it has lost through iheir obstinacy and want of knowledge. If the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committeo of 18SS had been piveti effect to what wonld have been our pii-iiiou now ? We should have bren the lir<>t 10 adopt the new system. U would have advertised us from one end of the world to the other. Thousands would have flocked to our Bhores. Our population and our commerce would have been enormously increased. We should have been, relieved from financial pressure, and in the full flow of prosperity, instead of being ground down as we are now under a load of debt and poverty.—l am, &c, Samuel Vaile. Auckland, 2Kb Augnst, 1892. THE HIGH SCHOOL. Sin,—l notice that the High School committee have, ostensibly upon financial grounds, decided upon changes in the teaching stall of the Girls' High School which involve the retirement of thu second mistress. Now, sir, I wish to enter an emphatic protest ugalost what I consider a gross piece of injustice. This lady was speci.illy brought out from Home not eighteen mouths ago, and has according to all accounts giveu every satisfaction since she entered upon her duties Now —tor financial reasons, forsooth— her services are dispensed with by the Bftine committee who so short a time ago engaged her. Ai.d I learn upon iuquiry tbat she was allowed to bear the whole co.ita of her pis-sign out aud incidental expenses, and apparently there is no proposal to refund this or to pay her i peusei bick. I venture to siy, sir, I that a commits who cm act, with such scandalous disregard for all fair dealing is not fit for one moment to bo entrusted with the management of an institution of such importance as oar Hi;>li School. Euher t'io stile of the finances did not warrant the committee iv engaging the lady eighteen months ago, or clso lli.y have .suffered a greM change fur the worse since then, and I have no reason to believe, ih-it that is s,o. Anvouo who knows the pcnonncl of the htufl ni'ist conclude that chun^es have been iHcmted by motives which are not directly connected with any de-ire for the advancement of tho school. I venture to think that none hut a wholly irresponsible body of men would dare to turn adrift in a colony where ehe oau have but few friends, and with absolutely no sullicient excuse, a lady whom they sent Home for, and who has hitherto been tho most popular and successful teacher in the school. The school has suffered sufliciently in the pist from erratic changes , of stall, and it uUeis but a poorawury tor the new rtgime that it has been ' commenced with a 'tcp of this kind. No ; one, indeed, could be surpii,ed at any development in a school which is run by ; a clique, and where kissing has gone by favor more than by personal merit. Since writing the above I Imvo learned from a person whose word I cau trust that all the teachera in the school wero aware of the proposed change for 6omo days previous—all, that is, but the lady who was most inteicsted, She had not even an oppoitunily of saying a word for herself. After the meet ing of tho committee on Saturday one ot them waited on the secretary, the H'iv. D. Sidcy, to ask that r.oticfi might 1..-.: writ: at, once. The secretary hesitated v hrst, and suggested th.it there was no in ud for that as she would learn it from the morning's paper! He subsequently -'ut a curt note of dismissal without a. a oid of explanation or sympathy. 1 need say no more, I think, to convince your readers thut ua unmanly acO has .

been perpetrated in a gratuitously crnel way, and I trust that those concerned in it may have to answer for it.— l am, &c., Disgusted, August 29th, 1892.