WHANGAREI-KAMO LINE. — REPLY TO "KAMO."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9093, 29 June 1888, Page 3

WHANGAREI-KAMO LINE. — REPLY TO "KAMO."

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—lf ifc were not that the Whangarei Kamo experiment is a matter of great public importance, I should not have thought a letter containing direct misrepresentation worthy of reply. " Kamo" accuses me of quoting return fares as single fares. These are the fares given in the tariff of 28th June, 1887:—

Return fares from the wharf to coalmines were 2s 8d first, and Is 9d second. Returns were issued on Saturdays and Sundays at single rates. In the face of this tariff, the statement is made that'' the fares were raised to 6d and 9d for all the journey;?, the fact being that the fares were fixed at 6d or 9d for the whole or any fraction of the line.

If " Kamo " understood the subject, he would know that the net revenue does not affect the question at issue. I have never said that "uniform fares must pay better on a long line " than on a short one ; that is still an open question ; it would mean the " universal fare." What I have said and still say is this: That a stage system applied to a long line would pay better than if it were applied to a short one. Perhaps " Kamo" cannot see the difference, but will he answer me these questions? If one detached system of seven miles will pay withtn itself, in there any reason why other detached systems of seven or more miles should not also pay within themselves; and supposing all these detached systems were joined up into a continuous line, would they not mutually help each other, and would not the whole thus pay better ? If " Kamo "is to master a subject like this, he must not only study deeper, but he must learn to be more truthful.— am, &c, SAMURIi Vaile. Auckland, June 27,1888.

First. Second. 8. d. s. d. From Wharf to Whangarei „ 0 9 0 6 „ „ Mail- .. .10 OS „ „ Kamo .. m. 1 6 10 „ „ til mines .19 12 From Whangarei to Mair .. .06 0 4 „ „ Kamo _ 1 0 0 8 ,, „ Coalmines.. 010 From Mair to Kamo .. ..0 9 0 6 „ „ Coalmines .. ..0 9 0 6 From Kamo to Coal mine!) ..0 6 0 4