OUR MARVELLOUS RAILWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14081, 8 June 1909, Page 3

OUR MARVELLOUS RAILWAYS.

Sir, --Permit, me to call'attention to the railway returns. It is usual to publish these returns during April, but, of "course, on this occasion it Was advisable to withhold from j i% the public the smallest 'amount of inform- ''■■.'. ation for tSie longest period possible. Sir . '. Joseph Ward at Invercargill, in his "policy . speech told hi* audience that " the financial -. iA operations of the- Railway Department, were very satisfactory," and that the country had / . been benefited to the extent of >Irj7,i>Bß. -...,.- This statement is absolutely wrong. What ■ ; the Prime Minister did was this. He quoted the gross increase of revenue, but carefully concealed tine increase in expenditure. & This reduces the " very satisfactory" finance io what Sir Joseph, in his own way ot taking the account, would say was £2531 of net revenue, and not £167,588 as he has * •■',: led the .community to believe. May I direct attention to the fact that what is stated in the Gazette returns of May 13 as the cost ,; of' our railways is not what they cost; it is what they cost a year ago, that is on March , V; 31, 1908, £26,735,140. To this wo must now add probably another £3,OOGJX)O, which "will bring our railway interest bill up to nearly V £1,200,000 per annum. During the last two ~ years we must have added another three .:■■ and a half millions (£3,500,000) to the capital ■ :*• cost of our railways, and for this huge* ; Outlay, according to the Prime Minister, we have received the wonderful sum of £2393 towards the payment of interest. This may be to him " very satisfactory," but neither « v nor his statements, will be,: to the community. It is time we wokonp. "• ■■■•..-. SArfCEL Vaile. i'U -* a