The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1908. OPPOSITION INEPTITUDE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 260, 2 November 1908, Page 4

The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1908. OPPOSITION INEPTITUDE.

It is one of the contentions of Opposition candidates,'.or some of them —for they speak with differing voices and express widely, diverging views— that " ridiculously bad management lias caused an absurd lossjon the railways." What the Minister in charge of the department has to say upon the subject is reported in a recent issue of the New Zealand Times, and it is a complete answer to criticistii' based upon imperfect knowledge,' or no knowledge at all, and only levelled against the- department for. electioneering purposes. Says the Hon., W. Hall-Jones, "If you starve the railways you can make almost any return you like. Last year we relaid 134 miles of entirely new track and charged the cost to revenue. We spent large sums improving our rolling stock; again we took it out of revenue. Those who suggest we charge items to capital which should be paid from revenue are utterly wrong. 1 do not know of a single shilling/during my term as Minister, and for some years before that, which, though chargeable to revenue, was put down to capital. On the contrary, we do the reverse. We maintain our lines as they ought; to be maintained,.lessening the liability to a big drain on the Consolidated Fund which would arise if there was a big accident. The safety of the travelling public is the first consideration of everyone connected with the Railway Department. That is shown by the installation of the tablet system, and other safety appliances which cost money, not only to provide but to maintain efficiently. For instance, our first work on the Wellington trid Manawatu ;'line will be the3 installation of the electric tablet system, i-rid we are now getting out the plans for Other States have a different method of dealing with concessions granted on their railways. In Victoria, if they make any concessions in favour of an industry, the Treasury recoups the Railway Departme'rit for the loss of revenue. Victorian coal is used on the railways, though it is of an inferior quality, so; the loss caused by this is also charged up to the Consolidated Fund. The percentage of working expenses has gone up a great deal during the'last'few years, but that is characteristic of railway working to be found all over the world. Only recently I read the references to this subject of the chairman of directors of one of the largest railways in the United Kingdom. He said everything had gone up, wages and material had increased in price. This has been the case in New Zealand, but we have not increased ovr rates in proportion. It has been pist the reverse with our rates. Recognising that for the eood of the country railway charges should be as low as ' possible, any changes we have made have. been in the direction of reductions." Upon the same subject the Prime Minister recently made a most effective reply to the railway critics. Said he: " They cry out ' the Government railways, policy by which concessions are given to the people is unsound,' but they do not say what they would substitute— whether increased goods and passenger rates, or reduction of train services and a diminished staff, though one- or the other, or both, would be necessary." This is only one instance out of many where-the hollowness of Oposition criticism is so apparent. As a matter of fact, Government opponents have not a leg: to stand upon, and realising this they -adopt tho favourite legal method, "no case, abuse the other side."