RAILWAY REFORM LEAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8263, 23 May 1890, Page 3

RAILWAY REFORM LEAGUE.

A meeting of the Railway Reform League, convened by advertisement and circular, was held yesterday at the New Zealand Insurance Buildings. There were present: Captain W. C. Daldy (in the chair), Messrs. Knox, U.E., A. Bell, R. Duncan, S. Vaile, J. Young, Thomas T. Thompson, M.H.R., R. W. Moody, J. Reid, Geddes, Kelly, and Mr. C. D. Whitcombe, secretary. The report of the Executive Committee was read. It dealt with proceedings of the committee and their communications with the Railway Commissioners. The committeo arrived at the conclusion that it was useless to waste further time in corresponding with the the Commissioners, and suggested that a public meeting should be called to consider the following questions : —1. That since the appointment of the Commissioners there had been no change in the system of administration which was the intention of Parliament and of the people ; the old system of railway administration, which the Commissioners still pursue, being most unsatisfactory to the country. 2, That (a.) in the opinion of this meeting the passing of the Government Railways Act of 1887 was a mistake, and that it ought to be repealed without delay ; (a) that Parliament should at once give effect to the recommendation of th eir committee of 1886, and order a trial o r i the stage system they reported upon, on the whole or a portion of the railways o.f the colony. The committee also reported having written to the Hungarian Minister of Commerce asking for information as to the working of the xone system in 'that country. The Hungarian Minister had very courteously replied, giving the fullest details as to the working of their new system. The committee also reported that associated Leagues had been formed in VVaikato, Helensville, and Invercargill. They also thought it worthy of mention that the system of railway administration the League advocated Attracted the attention of the authorities in Berlin, and the Imperial Government of Germany had twice officially sent to this country for all the information obtainable with reference to it. The committee recommended the League to adopt the following petition, and cause it to be printed and circulated throughout the colony for signature and presentation to Parliament:—

To the Honourable the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled. The petition of the undersigned inhabitants of the colony of New Zealand humbly showeth : That in the opinion of your petitioners the working of the Government Railways Act of ISS7 has been most unsatisfactory. That this Act expressly provides for the introduction of " differential rating," which is now strictly prohibited both in Great Britain and "the United States of America, and in the latter country is punishable by fine up to £1000, and two years' imprisonment. That in 18S(j your honourable House appointed a Committee to investigate and report on a stage system of railway administration which has been proposed for adoption in this colony. That your Committee reported, " That a trial should be given to the system on an isolated section of our railways." Your petitioners therefore pray: (1) That the Act of 1887 may be at once repealed. (2) That an unconditional trial of the system your Committee reported on may be ordered to be made on the whole or some considerable section of the railways of the colony. Mr. Andrew Bell, chairman of the executive committee, moved the adoption of the report, and in doing so he said it was unnecessary for him to go over the ground traversed by the report itself. They had all heard the correspondence that had been going on, and it was quite evident that they had gone as far as they could with the Com missioners, and there was no use in further correspondence until thoy could go to the Government and gob some alteration in the present system of railway management. The Commissioners had endeavoured to allay the anxiety existing by offering various remedies, bub the committee looked on the matter from a broader point of view, and a good many of them considered that Mr. Vaile's position was unassailable', and in 188(> a committee of the House appointed to report on the matter recommended a trial of this system, buttherethematter was left, and the only step was to call a public meetiug to force the matter on the Government. The evidence brought from foreign countries showed that the opinions which they held were finding their way through other communities. The apathy of Auckland on this matter was unaccountable, and the indifference of the papers and of the Chamber of Commerce was not worthy of them. Some gentlemen of influence and authority on railway matters declared that the scheme could be put in force in two months, but the Chamber of Commerce had nob taken up the matter as they ought. He hoped, however, they would be able to get a public meeting and ascertain whether the public were so apathetic as they seemed to be should the system become an established fact in Europe, then Mr. Vaile would be held up as a public regenerator of the human race, and one of the results would be a bridge across the English Channel, for that would become necessary. On their own part if they wanted to settle the country this was the plan to adopt. The power to move, as so frequently pointed out by Mr. Vaile, was the first principle. He moved the adoption of the report, and hoped they would have a large public meeting. He felt that Mr. Vaile had been treated with contemptuous neglect, and that the Chamber of Commerce had not shown a desire to meet the matter.

The Chairman said he had great pleasure in seconding the motion. He did not look on this matter, as many did, as a mere matter of €.8.d., but as a matter of social reform. ]t had a great deal to do with morality, and was a great social question. They heard of the concentration of population in the great centres of all countries, and this existed in their own colonies, for they saw by that day's HfiRALO that 200 people in Sydney, in the great colony of New South Wales, had taken up beds and received rations in one day. He regretted that there was not a better meeting, tor whether they in Auckland took the lead or not, this great question would take the load, and go on by its own force. Hungary had taken it up, and was working the idea out on their national railways, and two other companies had adopted the same system. All the railway literature of the world was taking it up, and he thought there was no doubt that this or some similar system would carry force throughout the world. Whether New Zealand was to take the lead in the movement rested with themselves. As to the monetary question if they could run two passengers for one their revenue would be safe. He hoped the question would be looked on by the public from a basis from which every man and every child would know what they wero doing. In Hungary they could get tickets at tobacconists' shops instead of having to wait for them as they had here. Then there was the ease with which people could move about, which was a great inducement, for if cheap fares existed people would travel for their health and on their business much more frequently than they do now, and it would make a radical change by disseminating population through the colony. It was a great social question, and as such deserved the support of the people. The kernel of the report was the petition to the Assembly. Mr. R. Duncan and Mr. Knox spoke in support of the motion, and commented favourably on Mr. Vaile's scheme. Mr. Vaile said ho would like to draw attention to the correspondence with the Commissioners, copies of which, although not read, were in the hands of the members. The object of the Commissioners was manifestly to evade a reply. Any person looking at the names of the members of the League, and their positions, would see that they had not been treated with courtesy by the Commissioners, and that their answers were simply evasions. He was quite sure that they intended to do nothing. He had received a report of a meeting held at Gore (Otago) of the Gore Club, and they asked for an expression of opinion on railway management. Mr. Cowan, the member for the district said that Sir H. Atkinson had said that the express object of the Act of 1887 was to continue the old policy of the management of the railways. Their object was to get that Act repealed. The

Southland people, the Canterbury people, and all except the Wellington people for whom he could not speak, were dissatisfied with the present system. As regarded the world, Hungary had already adopted the stage system, and two other companies had adopted it. It was now being applied in Spain and Hesse and other countries were proposing to adopt it, and the Imperial Government of Germany had sent twice for information as to the New Zealand system. He fully sympathised with the remarks of the chairman as to the effects of the system on the social condition of the people. Had it not been for that he would never have worked as he did, for although £ is. d. was an 'important matter, the other was of greater importance. The trial in Hnngary was a proof of the success of the scheme, for in that kingdom the population was the same as that on which the basis was framed.

Mr. T. Thompson, M.H.R., said that in regard to what he might take as a reference to him in Mr. Vaile's address, he might say he did not recollect the reference made by Mr. Vaile as to the remark made by Sir H. Atkinson. It was, however, an understanding that Mr. Maxwell was not to be appointed as a Commissioner, and in appointing him the Government committed a breach of faith. He gave some details of the Bill, and said that he had voted against it, and was, he believed, the only Auckland member who had voted against it, but he found that Mr. Maxwell was placed in the same position as he was previously. He had read over the petition, and fully coincided with it, but, as they were aware,, he had to address a meeting of his constituents the next night, he did not wish to anticipate what he had to say to thorn. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. The Secretary read extracts from a letter from the chairman of the Hungarian Department acknowledging receipt of Mr. Vaile's publications forwarded, a copy of the zonal tariff, and details as to the working of the stage or zone system. It was agreed to acknowledge the courteous letter of the Hungarian Minister, and the answer sent by the chairman was unanimously adopted. Mr. James Knox moved that rule 3 of the by-laws of the League be amended as follows— namely, that instead of a quorum of ten being requisite toconstitute a meeting of the general committee, in future seven members of the general committee shall constitute a quorum ; and whereas rule 3 empowers the formation of an executive committee of five members only, the executive committee be heteby authorised to add two members to its number.

Mr. R. W. Moody seconded the resolution, and it was carried.

The Chairman urged that they should acquire a larger membership. There were certain charges which had to be met, but this was not so much a question as obtaining a larger membership. They wanted to popularise the movement, and now was the time when they could pledge their members and work in Parliament.