MR. VAILE'S RAILWAY PROPOSALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9152, 6 September 1888, Page 3

MR. VAILE'S RAILWAY PROPOSALS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l think the letter of Mr. Vaile, in your yesterday's issue, is very suggestive. The figures speak for themselves in reference to the desirability of making a change in the system of railway development. Mr. Vaile might very reasonably say, in words well remembered by most of your readers, " If thy servant had asked of thee to do some great thing, thou wouldst have done it." He might nave asked that some great expenditure might take place, or some enormous salary offered to some manipulator in the direction that has been a serious drawback on the benefits that would otherwise have accrued to the interests of those at home ; but he has not done so. He simply asks to make the best of what is already in existence, and to develop a principle (to a considerable extt. that has

already been tested, and tested to the satisfaction of every well-wisher to the social advancement of the community. He does not proclaim a new evangel, —even the most conservative member of the community cannot charge him with anything revolutionary. I have noticed in some letters of his opponents that he is charged with nob being familiar with the working of railways. It is astonishing how history repeats itself. lam old enough to remember the abuse that was poured on Cobden when seeking the adoption of Freetrade, and I shall be delighted to see history repeat itself as in his case, because it will be within the recollection of a great many of your readers that although Lord Palmerston had nob been a Freetrader, when he saw an advantage to be gained to the country he immediately called on Cobden to carry his principle into action, and I only wish the Government here would call on Mr. Vaile to do the same with the railways. And why not ? Why should be not be asked to carry out his principle ? There is no risk to be run. Who would oppose such a step ? I can safely say that the great bulk (nine out of every ten at least) of the most intelligent men I have met since I came here are favourable to the experiment. Then why should Mr. Vaile receive such curt official messages as I have seen published in the papers ? I cannot fora moment believe that the authors of those curt replies can be ignorant of the public estimation of the relative attainments of the two contending parties, or of the motives that would be likely to influence either one or the other. Why then should this antagonism be perpetuated? Suppose we were to take the lowest possible view of the subject suppose those Ministers who are most under the control of the officials really believe Mr. Vaile to be wrong, where could anything injurious be brought" about by giving it a trial ? It certainly would nob be I expensive. There is nothing revolutionary, | except such as it appears to those whose minds are only capable of plodding just in one groove, and certainly there is a probability of an improvement, the figures of the opponents of the change being the judges. I am of opinion that if the change was made the railways of New Zealand would ultimately become the envy of the world, because conducted on a clearly-defined principle.— am, etc., Joseph Ormroo. September 4, 1888.