RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 6976, 27 February 1890, Page 4

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

Tli© executive of the Waikato Railway League met Commißsiouei WB>rrow at Hamilton on Friday. Vl r Primrose, ehatrm»n of the League, vated that they bad taken th • opportunity of bringing forward tbeir Tbe point tbtj wished to urge was that tbe railway! abould be run in tbe interest of settlement rather than ai a matter of raising tevenue. Tbii was tbe principle on which the railways were originally built, Mr M'Kerrow laid that the Act under which the Commissioners operated allowed that railways should he worked in the interests of settle, meut, but they had also to look to tbe ta'Btog of revenue, and they bad endeavored to compromise matters. Tbe ftot was that the principle advocated by the League had been largely assisted by tbe action of the Legislature, whioh bad supplemented the running of railways by • contribution of L 200.000. To interfere abruptly with tbe railway returns might seriously interfere with tbe finances of tbe colony. Tbe railway revenue this year would produce one Million. To cut down freights as asked would oause a serious loss, and he could not promise any •udden obange in tbe rates of freight, He instanced the taking off of 25 per cent in tbe carriage of lime as indicating the dtsire of tbe Commissioners to do what they could for tbe farmers. It cost 6s to send a fat ballook from Watkato to Auckland, and of tbe cattle sent 6000 oatne from Waikato, while all the Went Count people made it pay to send up 0000 bead in tbe same time at an extra oost for transfer of 15n per head. Witb regard to reduction of freights, it could not be done for one railway. All would have to be treated alike. Tbe only way to reduce freights must be uniform— say, obarge only the cost of haulage ; but then tbe shrinkage in tbe railway revenue mist be made up fiom other quarters. Tbe commissioners would give every consideration to the wishes of the settlers as far as practically possible,

Half « loaf » bttttr than M ?•«*• tlon at »11,