THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT: WORKING RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9138, 21 August 1888, Page 3

THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT: WORKING RAILWAYS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—To anyone conversant with the subject, that portion of the Public Works Statement relating to our working railways is like the noisy chatter of a child or the senseless maunderings of an old man imbecile. It is a laboured but weak attempt to account for the present deplorable condition of our railways by an endeavour to show that other colonies are much worse off than we are. I am, of course, aware that it is the production of the two superior officers of the department, and it reflects no credit on them.

We are distinctly told that owing to the superior wisdom of our department we are £204,294 per annum better off than Victoria is, £284,919 than New South Wales, and £106,769 than the Cape colony. These countries must be in a bad way, and it might be a mutual advantage if Messrs. Maxwell and Hannay would transfer their remarkable abilities to one or other of them. Certainly we should not suffer.

Special stress is laid on the statement that the average cost of delivering a ton of goods in New Zealand (6s lOd) is Jess than in other countries. Mr. Maxwell first put out this statement on his return from Europe, but I never supposed any railway man could really believe this was an evidence of successful working, until I received one of these tables from a prominent official with a special note, calling my attention to this 6s lOd. The real truth is, that this low average charge is due to the fact that owing to our abominable system of administration, the high rates and vexatious regulations, it is not possible to transport goods for long distances, and hence the low average. Mr. Maxwell says t/he average distance goods are transported is only 25 miles. No wonder ! Goods are constantly transported distances of 80 miles by roads running alongside the rails. It is stated that our railways have "been carried into country without sufficient population, arid they cannot pay expenses until settlement and production have advanced." How is it possible that settlement and production can advance in the out-districts under these circumstances ?

The average transport charge for every class of goods is 3£d per ton per mile. Thus a settler living a hundred miles from the market would have to pay £1 9s 2d for every ton that went on or off his farm. It would be a poor farm, that for a considerable portion of it, in manures and other things received, and in produce and live stock sent off, would not require transport to the extent of three tons per acre. Its unfortunate owner would thus have to pay in transit charges alone £4 7s 6d per acre per annum. How is iit possible he can only Ss 9dlor \&\Mff%J&™*» e " ler This is the unseen force that*" Bitß, settlement, and has compelled the department™ to resort to the ridiculous experiment of trying to make our railways pay by cutting off train services, and shutting them and the country up together. We shall never settle the country nor make our railways pay until we learn how to equalise our transit charges. What possible use can there be now in wasting time in discussing on what gauge our railways ought to be built. They are built, and what we want the Department to do is to answer these questions :— Why can they not make our railways pay either directly or indirectly Why is it that the more capital we invest, no matter whether the times are good or bad, our railways make an ever-increasing yearly loss ? Why is it that during seven years the railway revenue was £589,473 less than their estimate ?

Why is it that their splendid and " economical" administration has involved the colony during the last eight years only, in a direct loss of over two and a-half millions (£2,510,699)? Why is it that with more capital in vested, more miles open, more men eraployed, population and trade largely increased, we yet receive a less revenue than we did eight years ago ? My reply to these questions is that it is due to maladministration, and to that alone. It is impossible to believe that railways in themselves are an evilj bub the fact is, that in this case the controllers of them are clearly unequal to the task of grappling and dealing with the difficulties that sur> round them.

For the present position of affairs no men are so largely responsible as Messrs. Maxwell and Hannay, and next to them come the Hon. E. Richardson and the Hon. E. Mitchelson. These are the gentlemen who if they do not appoint themselves our Railway Commissioners, will at any rate appoint their friends. This is where our danger lies.—l am, &c, ' Samuel Vaile. Auckland, August 18, 18>>8.