THE RAILWAYS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11540, 29 March 1898, Page 4

THE RAILWAYS.

Oke of the most pleasing and hopeful features in the present condition of New Zealand is the prosperous position of the national railways. The figures just supplied from the department at AYellington show a redundant revenue, a rapidlygrowing traffic and a profitable working of these great highways. An Opposition journal asserted a few days ' ago that as a result of Ministers having “ starved the railways ” there was “ an absolute deficiency of rolling stock,” while engines were being used that were liable to break down at any moment, some of them having been in use for over twenty years. The same authority, somewhat inconsistently, complained that the Government had done wrong in cabling to for a supply of new locomotives. It is not at all certain that engines have been ordered from England ; but if they have, it is clearly because the railway work shops here are unable to turn them out with . sufficient rapidity to meet the growth of traffic. The deficiency of rolling stock, as we now learn, is not the result of a deliberate policy of limiting the expenditure, but has been caused by the rapid expansion of railway business. It is a symptom of great and general prosperity when the demand for rolling-stock and engines is beyond the capacity of our large railway workshops to supply. The coincident increase of revenue is a testimony that the additional traffic induced by the lower rates for goods and the excursion fares for passengers has been' of a profitable kind. So far from the railways being “starved,” as Conservative critics have alleged, we find that there has, during the past year, been a “record” expenditure on maintenance. The figures quoted in another column/ show that there has been an outlay commensurate with the largely increased traffic. Another assertion of the Opposition paper already quoted was that the Bail way Department had been “ paying interest out of capital,” and it was predicted that there would be stormy times when Parll ament met. This statement proves to have been as baseless as the others. The .Railway Department has, from the profits of last year’s working, passed a sum of £162,000 to capital account, and it is estimated that there will still be a surplus of £90,000 over the estimatedrevenue. These gratifying facts, while they dispose of the untrustworthy and malevolent statements of Opposition organs, afford a strong argument in favour of further reductions of rates, and reforms in our system of railway management generally. In fact, the results of the reductions already made would justify the adoption of the Yaile or “ stage ” system cf fares, on a section of the railways, even without the monetary guarantee which an Auckland firm was a few years ago prepared to give to secure the country against loss from the experiment. The Premier is understood to be favourable to the Yaile system, and so are other members of the Ministry. Mr Seddon, when Minister of Public I Works in 1892, said;—“ The returns : from the working of our railways do : not show at all a satisfactory condition of affairs, and the representations of Mr 8. Yaile as to the workiifg of,, the new system indicate that, at no' distant date, possibly at the expiry of the Commissioners’ term of office, it might be as well that a trial of tins system should be made on our railways.” It only requires a little pressure to be used by the electors to secure the introduction of the ' stqge system. As, however, the immediate result of the innovation ! would bo ■ an enormous increase of traffic, it would be well to see that the supply of carriages is equal to the probable demands before any change is . made. The policy of reducing freight charges, so as to assist in developing the producing and manufacturing, industries of the country, may

also be pursued with perfect safety* The splendid results achieved during the past year prove that the national railways are capable of giving better service to the people and of yielding richer returns to the Government than were before thought to be possible. There is every reason to expect that by intelligently following the enlightened policy that has prevailed since the resumption of Ministerial control, equally good results will be shown in years to come. The last vestige of the Commissioners’ idea of “ commercial principles ” in railway management has been dissipated by the experience of late years, and the theory of direct State control of the means of distribution haSI been greatly strengthened.