RAILWAY ACCOUNTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12910, 5 July 1905, Page 6

RAILWAY ACCOUNTS.

NORTH AND SOUTH ISLAND expenditure.

A PETITION FROM MR. YAILE. [by telegraph.— special correspondent.] . Wellington, Tuesday. The unremitting attention giver to matters in connection with the railways of the colony by Mr. Samuel Vaile, of Auckland, is apparent in a petition which was presented to Parliament on his behalf by Mr. K.rkbnde this afternoon. Mr. Vaile asks for an inquiry to be made into the railway accounts and t?io reasons for his request are set forth in the petition, which opens by calling the attention of the House to "the very unsatisfactory way in which the public works and' railway of the colony are kept," and to the fact that according to a statement made by the Premier "The accounts of the two Departments do not tally." Mr. Vaile goes on to say that owing to the conflicting statements of the two Departments it is almost impossible to form a correct opinion of wha- our ladways have cost, or a correct estimate of their earning capacity. •hi P rool of *} 10 correctness of the above Mnts .Mr. Vaile calls attention to the fact than auiui]„ his recent tour in the Auckland distnci the Premier more than once, said that ™ ing his Premiership more miles of railway had been constructed and more money ® x pended in their construction in the North Island than in the South Island, and that Mr. Seddon had also, said that period in question the sum of £1,639,64> was expended in the North andl only £1,370,393 in the South Island, oi £25,933 more in the ■ North than in the South Island He (the Premier), the petition went on to say, stated that those fibres wre supplied to him by the Public Works Department. Mr. Vaile calls attention to he fact that the railway accounts for the period in question show that the expenditure in the North Island wa S £2 849 J42 and that in the South Island £3,557,04b, or £707,604 more in the South than in the North Hand. Mr. Vaile goes on to say that there is a difference of, no less than 396 769 in the reports given by the Premier and' Mr. Hall-Jones on the on hand and Sir Joseph Ward on the other as to the amount expended on railway construction during the last 11 years. The petitioner concluded by stating that a well-known student of, railway matters m this and other countries, ho . ires £ House to inquire into the -atterinorder that he may be informed which, of the two statements is oorroct. The petition was referred to the Petitions Committee foi re port. .