LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13160, 25 April 1906, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

ilbslit 1 MILK ;.\\ ANT) SPIRITUALISM. Sir.— I hti\e read He, hop Neligan's advice to "Christian men and women to stamp rait spiritualism." <■•<■. I think that hi.- lordship , j would not like ' > !>*"• ntimljernd among that 1 portion of the clergy that preach .•?. but doe» not practice. and that. !•<•■•: :•. he i- anxious to a —io in tii.. work <:! "'•tumping out." A debate upon the question would afford a splendid opportunity for furthering his desif —that i-. if he has truth on hit sid.—and. in order to facilitate manors, ( will engage to m-et hi- !i rd-lon in publ.o ikha'e. re the " Sc;< r.;:fe La-is of Spiriiua!-l-m." upon two -Uef e-s:ve ', i »ii'l aril not the le,-,.. -' eiM'.e of any • tnruuah-ta: society. bin a " duly ijiiand" eierayiimn •>• a j Christian Church in acme work in this <jtv. 1 I and if tie Ibdiop -,» de-ire- I v. :'i pi;,,. ]■„ .|} % 1 'j In- hands my reo"tit: ai- and <piai:ficaton'». i If he i- prepared *-> ;l i e- of my chalicn^*-, • j and arrange tern.- of bat >. then. Mr. Kdt'l tor. you are at i:!>. rtv t.i .■:> : • Uidiop N'.-j.. . j gnu mv name and addre--. l.t:t;ov M AN". I ; I'.S.— Should hi- lord-iup eon-iuu. I -ul-. , j „* .-t lha: a -mall charge be made for admh|j -ton. and the proofed- hand-it to tiiA j Mayor'.- relief fund. —C. TH'CK SlIOK'l A(; 1 Sii.— In concluding thi- -erics *•' letters > permit me to call the -erious attention of my feliow-t to the following tigun*-. which epitomi-e the whole matter. My .sow , object is to place the real [K>-il.iun clearlv before the public. If i; had Ueti to damage tiie present Administration. I -hould have taken the account for the whole time thrr 1 have been in power. This would have tun)" ' out far wor.-e. Therefore in -order to b« i strictly impartial as between tin- Adtninif- : tratiou and the north ami ,-outh, I i)A*o [ taken the account for the last, -ix years on)r. The following figures show the results of working our railways under the present sv?teni of administration, during the jjeriod 1900 ■ to 1905: — [ Contribution to Customs revenue (76 per I cent, of our whole taxation in 1905: North Island, 50 iter cent.; South Island, 40 per cent. > Import and export trade in 1905: North Island, 53 per cent.; South Island, 4?. per cent. Increase in capital invested: North Island £2.239.252: South Island, £3.210.180. New miles opened : North Island, 95 miles ■ South Island. 175 mile,. Increase in number of passengers: North Island, 1,725.225; South Island, 1,350,603. Increase in number of season ticket*: l North Island, 45.613: South Island, 31.505." * Increase in number of parcels, etc.: North - Island, 91,177; South Island, 126.448. Increase in number of live stork: North lt Island, 660,764: South Island, 316,975. ' Increase in nunil>er of tons of goods of all ; classes: North Island, 445,820; South Is- > land, 437,317. L Increase in gross revenue earned: North > Island, 56.40 per cent.; South Island, 24 ! per cent. Thej-eal loss made during the six wars ■ was £3.512.835. and not £944,803, as stated by the Government. , Note; I'or want of information in the railway reports, I am unable to apportion the loss made between the two i lands. For th<whole colony it averages £621.263 per annum for the last .six year.-. hen considering these figures it i, necessary to bear, in mind that during the period ■ under review our population increased over 114.000: our import and export trades, £4.590.000. and the capital invested in our railways, £5,450,000. 1 nder the-e circumstances the loss on our railways in 1905 was £145,200 more than it was in 1900. I ask what is tin* use of further jrursuing a system which shows clearly that the more money we invest in it. the ' more miles wo construct, the larger our population is, the greater our trade becomes, the more severe is our loss. There must, be something seriously wrong in the administration. I shall probably be told that the loss is due to the "largo concessions" made to railway users, which Ministers state amount to over a million." l , replv by asking first what right, the an way Minister has to make 44 concessions," when to keep our railways running cost« the general taxpayer over £621,000 per annum: arid in the second place I deny that anv real concession has been made. If it had it must ave shown itself in the average fare and goods rates, which were ns follows: Fof the last six years the'average passenger fare i™7T5d 9d ' 13 7id ' 1S 6^d ' H 6id ' ls 7d ' During the same {x*riod the average charge for carrying each ton of goods was 6s 7Ad, wi ' ? ' 6s9<l - 6s 9 sd, 6- 9 13-100 d. \Vn-ere do-os the million come in? It ,*« obvious that the usual railway triclc ha.«? been resorted to, and the burden shifted •from one shoulder to another. It; was desirable to conciliate the farmers along the hues therefore make the city workers and th< back bocks men, who use the railways least, pay the loss. In conclusion, let me again remind mv fellow-colonists, our railway leagues, and our chambers of commerce, that this North Tsland pays 60 lx cent of the whole revenue of the colony, as against 40 per cent h, f if- IS ' a " Cl ' Tt contributes 58 ' p«-r cent, of its import and <'*»<* trade, as against 42 per cent, from the South Tt does by far the most rapidly increasing railway business and yet. if has onlv 40 per cent, of the railway expenditure and a Tar less proportion of other nubile works expenditure. It has also been severely stint ed 111 its supply of rolling stoek. Could folly further? V- on g<» S Samvf.k Vailk.