TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6999, 23 April 1884, Page 3

TO THE EDITOR.

Sra,—Nothing could mere strikingly exemplify the complicated nature of oar railway tariff than the fact that all the leading newspaper writers of the colony seem to be under the impression that railway rates and charges are uniform throughout New Zealand. I have read "the leading articles, of many papers on this Bubjeot, and thewritersr one and all, yourself among the nuiaber, are evidently labouring under thiß delusion. Knowing what 1 do of this miserable tariflj I am not at all surprised that they have fallen into this-error—ninety-nine men out of every hundred would have done the same. Nothing but the moat careful reading, and re-read-ing of, this most-atrocious document; could, reveal its gross absurdities,'its iniquitous charges and impositions. In order to place this matter ft little more clearly before your readers,. 1 must trouble you with a" few'more figures.' Inthe followingstatemeDt the fares are calculated for aSO mile distance throughout. ■ It' will be seen that although there has been a rise of a* fraction under 50 per cent. - on the Canterbury and Otago lines, on the carriage of- goods of' Closb E, which brings the 50 mile fare up from- 6s 40d per _ ton to 10s 2d, that - throughout the' North Island there is a further additional charge of S5 per cent, upon the 10s 3d; or, in other words, while the' increase in Canterbury £nd Otago : is at the rate ofunder 50 per cent., in .taiok.land and throughout- the North Island it ia at ; the rate of - over 86 J per cent. Tha different charges work outthus :— AUCKLAND SECTION; g. d. 50 mile (are, charge in Auckland for class E, per ton .. .. 12 9 | Do. do., Canterbury and Otago _ 10 2 .Against Auckland.. .. . 2 7 Class I?, 50 miles, Auckland, per ton., v ' 2211 Do., do., Canterbury and Otago _ 17 6' . Against Anokland 5 6 Class F, 50 miles, Auckland, per ton.. _ 910 Do., do., Canterbury and Otago ... 7.8 i Against Auckland ' ... S 2 I should state 'that goods of Class E, when consigned to Auckland. or Onehunga, pay only*a single rate aa in Canterbury or Otago,; but when sent to any other portion of the line they must pay a rate and a [quarter as against » rate in the South, so must all goods of this class sent out of Auckland no matter where to. KAPIEB SECTION. On this section the fares given above are charged on the whole lines throughout, so they are served a little worse than we are. ■ •' TABANAKI SECTION, . Class 15 as in Auckland. Clases B, C, and D are there charged as A, which works out thus : «. d. Class Bas A, Taranaki - — _ .. 31 6 ; Charge in Canterbury and Otago .. _28 0 Against Taranaki .. .. .. B'. 8 Clas3 oas A, Taranald „ _ _ 31 ftCharge In Canterbury and Otago — ; .. 22 11 Against Taranaki .. — _ 8 7 Class Das A, Taranaki .. _ .. SI 6 Charge in Canterbury and Otago .. _ 17 5 Against Taranaki V. . .. .. 14 I Class F as in Auckland, 2s 2d against Taranaki. ; WANGANTJI SECTION. ~ ; Class E as in Auckland. : Class Cas B;-*Wangamn *.. 26 10 ; Charge in Canterbury and Otago „ _ 22 11 ' . Against Wanganui .. _ . . .. 311 . Class Das B, Wanganui .. .. .. 26 1Q Charge in Canterbury and Otago — „ 17 S ■■ Against Wanganul „ ~ ~ 9 5 Class P as in Auckland. ' WELLINGTON SECTION. Class E as in Auckland. Class Oasß, Wellington • .. i, " 26 10 Charge in Canterbury and Otago — _22 n. Against Wellington _ — .. 311 ClassD as B, Wellington .. 58 10 Charge in Canterbury and Otago — . _ 17 5 . Against Wellington .. .. „ , g 6 Class P asin Auckland against Wellington, 2s 2d. Nelson has but 23 miles of railway, Fioton only 18. In both these provinces goods of | Class £ are carried at a single rate; in other respects Nelson is treated as is WanganHi and Picton as Tarak&nL. Thus it will be seen that this "eminently just and fair tariff " means sacrificing the interests of tfe e weaker districts to those of the stronger. What an absurd commentary this is on the Premier's speech at Hawera. - He there'said, "He held.- that the railways of New Zealand belonged to the people of New Zealand, and that the profits .were to go .-into the pockets o'f the people of New Zealand rather ' than into those of people residing in particular districts." . With this utterance of the Premier's T cordially and' heartily agree— with his action in the matter I differ {re (010. Just one more illustration of how this/ "strictly impartial tariff" works. For carrying a ton of goods of Class D to Raniriri j[s6 miles) the charge is 25s 2d, but for taking- them on to Hamilton, 28 miles further, the. charge would be only 18s 4d (6s lOd per ton less for the longer distance); or to Te Awamutu, 44 miles, beyond Rangiriri, only 255; or in other words they carry goods -100 miles for 2d per ton 'less than they charge for 56 miles. Or to put it still another '"way: For 56 miles they charge under the; new tariff, then for, 34T miles they revert to the old tariff, and'then again for the remainder of the distance the rates are increased, but not to-the-full extent of the new tariff. : Thus we have three different r&tes on oar 100 miles of• Southern railway. The people who."want to.kaow yon know," will be apt to ask why is this, and. who are the favoured settlers, that draw their'supplies from the 34 miles of carefully proteoted railway. Tha first favoured station is .Ohinewai, and,tha last Rukuhia. .Talk about differential rating. Here's a glorious example of the principle. ■••• What next?—l am, &c., - Samoei#'Vailb. \ Auckland, April 18. >• ' P.Si-i-Jnst a; line to Mr. Adam K. Murray. I am quiteaware of "the instances he rites, of reduced fares for short distances. They are,', however, the exception, and not the rue/aa established here by our'railway authorities. They ; are also on private,. not Government lines.;. As to the Mr. .• A." &. Mtirray is qiiite right as to his interpretation of the tariff, but he "fails to .understand": that if this man put the stores intfehisbagß the -official .mußt charge him" 203®Sd,. and would u>'t get the chance to charge the 26a Id, which he would have if only 1J tons were * sent.— 8. V.