PRAISE FOR THE RAILWAYS.

Mataura Ensign, 16 March 1909, Page 3

PRAISE FOR THE RAILWAYS.

AN AUSTRALIAN'S VIEWS. I'iiU UKlllvli I'IcLSS ABBOCIA'IION. AUCKLAND, March 10. In the course ol a conversation to-day Mr \Y. M. i'ehon, who was for many years one of the Kaiiway Commissioners •if New South Wales and who returned !•> Sydney by to-nigkl's bout, gave some of bis impressions of the Nov/ Zealand railways system, over a great portion of which ho has recently travelled. "I think/' said .Mr Felion, ''con••l'lcring the great difiictilties that your engineers have had to eontond with in regard to sharp curves and steep gradients that you have got a really ,_ood system and one that will compare favorably with the larger railway of Australia. In view of the iiaturo of the country over which your IslM's travel 'Vow Zealand has done the right thing in adopting thu narrow .outgo ol 31't (Jin, which is tho sumo as 'hat in use m Queensland. Tasmania, West Australia and on portion of the South Australian lines, although in Victoria and New South Wales ilie | gauge i. of course broader. You seem to have a good class of engines and carriages and your trains keep i'uirly good turn'. "The speed of your trains is also very good when all things aro taken into consideration," said Mr Fehon in leply to mi observation on that point. "Where Ihe road i» tavorablo your ;.peod is as good as that of tho Australian railways. Your fares and freight rates are also based on .« very liberal -. ale. New Zealand is also ahead of the Australian railways ill regard to the Uning-car system. Dining-cars were adopted in Victoria a few months ugo. but they have, not yot been introduced mto Now South Wales."