The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1879

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1132, 4 December 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1879

The new railway tariff, which has resulted frotn the deliberations of the _ Commissioners appointed to investigate the management of the colonial railways, came into force oil the Ist of the present month. The amended tariff is, wc understand, designed to increase the income from ottr railways. V e think that it will have an effect the reverse of that intended. If we take, for instance, the cost of transporting agricultural produce by rail to Port Chalmers, say from Duntroon, we find that it will, under the new tariff, be lfis, the amount Whig made up in the following manner: —f>o miles at 2d, 8s 4d; »0 miles at Id, 4s 2d; terminal charge, 2s 'id ; wharfage, 13. Under the IfiJd tariff the co3t -would have been 17s Md, the charge then being 2Ad for first 50 miles, lid for next 2-> miles, and a penny for every additional mile. Therefore, the cost of the transportation l>y rail of a ton of grain to Port Chalmers has been reduced by Is OAd. It is evident that the department will Io3C on carnage of grain for short distances. This might appear to be advantageous to the majority of our farmers, for they will realise * a direct corresponding gain. Bnt, wc presume that those who arranged the tariff now in force did not even dream of beneficing the farmers at the cost of making an actual toss on the whole carrying business of the department. It appears to us that their object was to create a tratLj for long distances. They have made a high bid for it, but one that will, we think, demonstrate the futility of attempting to bring railways into profitable competition with coasting vessels. _ hat will be the effect of their reduction I That coasters wiii also reduce their charges for freight, in accordance with a policy that their proprietors have alreadv signified their intention to pursue should it*b«} necessary to do so. Reverting t>> carriage i'runi Duntroon, for the purpose of putting an hypothetical case, the total c«>st of transporting grain th'-nce to ■ 'iineit:;. via the ISreakwater wostki be only 2i 2d per ton in advance of the charge solely by rail to the same place. In the tight for business, the managers of steamers will, we hear, reduce their charge from 8s to 5s if necessary' to so order to ke«-p their b-.atrf and their staffs empined. Then there would be a balance iof iod per ton in favor of the Ureakwater ' r.'i.tt-- " What would the <ie[).irt(i:viit do in swell acase ! Their position w.ntid be'v.. than ever. Having failedfn'in tnai>iluy. » mal»easuflicientlviovv bid C ; j s-jeure ia** carriage of irain for ioitg distances, their business will be confined to short t>ne». on which they will register a reduction in receipts in comparison with what they were under the old tariff, of a halfpenny per mile. This wit! not improve the financial itspeot oi the affairs of the railway department. Ths <!oVernnie:tt must respect vested interests, or they wilt be taiiirht to= do so, although, unfortu:;2t.i!y, at the expense ot the Culony. fjo h;ng as there are steamers on the coast, ami harbors like that of Oamaru, constructed and made effective at great cost, so long will these things he brought into requisition. Those who hctd to do with the learrangement of the taril) ought to ha\e known this, or they ought not to have been entrusted with the a-jttleinent of so important a matter. Even had the reduce*! tariff effected the object for which it was arranged, we question if the rates fixed for long distances would have bent remunerative t»> the department. If distances cannot be traversed muter a charge of 2d per tori per mile, we are quite sure, unless ottr arithmetical knowledge is greatly at fault, that Id I».t mile will not pay. Taking, again, for instance, the line from Duntroon to Port Chalmers., carriage for the first 50 miles, on a line almost as level as a bowling grei-n. would b« charged at the rate of 2d per mile , when the crags and peaks were reached a reduction of the rate to Id would be made, a price that could not, by any process of finessing, bo made to pay the cost of maintaining the aerial section of ottr railway, to say nothing of the injustice of sttch an arrangement. The Kailways Tariff rectifiers have, like the j dog in the fable, grasped the shadowanil lost the substance. They have, imleed, labored under the old lady's hailucinatiiiXithat *" it is the titiantlCV as pa\>, ! b«t will fait to secure patronage for the quantity The new tariff will not answer the expectation of its frainers ; it will not f*.- satisfactory to anybody jn any respect. If the (lovernnient does not amend it now. they will be compelled t.j do it when the s.s. Waitakt returns to occupy her old berth. .She and the other ;eoa»t«rs wilt bring them to their senses, bv demonstrating in a most conclusive manner that it n useless tu attempt to make railways pay by attempting to run ( the steamers and sailing craft oil. It j must he apparent to the ttn.at casual o»- j server that ttnder anything like fair coti(•Uttotts the rxpettsiveuess of maintaining ■ and running railways is a bagatelle c >li»- ! tntred t«» that ft dwing the in ttie c-.tni: of atu-aißPf*. Ji«rr»ittided by dilltculty as cFie t::.t!ottbtf«Hy is, but one v»ay ;tif Seems «'pM'U. Let the coalers that stand in the pv of the accomplishment of the far-seeing and comprehensive plana of the trainers of the (lew railway tariff b*» purchased by the Government, and sent to—Hong Kong. 3lr. Julius Vogel adopted a similar policy when he ve:w# gave a A>ucetir from the public chest to each cf the colonial distillery c»in[iwui to secure the closing of their establishment*, in order to protect the Customs revenue. Why should not the present G«>rernment do likewise. Th*-"}' can lay claim to be the dreg» of Sir Juiius Votcel's Government, and to have a prescriptive right to follow his example. As they have permitted the matter to reach this sta%'e, perhaps they would have no objection to g*> so much further. Then sfniuld we almost daily witness the elieerful sight of lines blockaded by loads too heavy fur the eugiues to haul over steep gradients, *>r roiling stock or lines shattered by pressure too great for them c., bear. Then would we be educated in such a manner as to enabla us to perceive that whatever other policy might be the one w«* have adopted is bad. i hen would tliat which in theory seemed as conclusive as faet. bo practically demonstrated to be S'» to these commissions of dull comprehension.

It was a matter for regret that Wesley Church was not better filled last evening on the occasion of the repetition of the Service of Song "Jessica's First Prayer," for the entertainment provided was of a pleasing and interesting nature. In many respects the vocal part of the service was a decided improvement upon the previous rendering of the sweet music, ami the Rev. H. Dewsbury read the narrative in his usual elotpieiit and earnest manner.

The monthly meeting of the Kakanui Road Hoard took place yesterday, when there were present—Messrs. Elder (in the chairi, M'Donald. Hedley, Morton, Aikenhead. M'Auly. Thomson. Maude, Walker, and Oliver (Engineer). The minutes of the nr-vions were read and confirmed. Arid the outward correspondence was read :md approved. A letter was read from the Treasury intimating that tlie sum of LOS!) bs fid, being subsidy for hall-year.-had beenpaid to the Hoard's" credit. It was decided t<» <>:fer no objection to the application of the Hon. M. Holmes to purchase closed roadtino between section 21,' 22: 23 and 23.' 2!) and 'M, block I). It was resolved to advertise for tenders' for fencing road-line in section 43, block 1, Kauroo. and also for forming. gravelling, and draining about ten chains of street line in the township of Kakanui North. A committee were appointed consisting of Messrs. Thomson, Hedlev, and Maude to investigate and rcj |>ort tipon the matter of streets in South Oamaru. Accounts amounting to L 342 12s 2d were passed for payment, and after a vote of thanks had been accorded the chair the Hoard adjourned. The rumored purchase of the New Zealander and New Zealand Times has come to pass, according to the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times. They are now the property of the Hank of New Zealand and Air. Oeorge M'Lean. so it is said, we have our doubts about the authenticity of this part of tile information conveyed to us by our contemporary.

The monthly meeting of the Athenaeum Committee will be held this evening at halfpast seven o'clock. On Monday evening a meeting of collectors of the fund in aid of the widow and orphans of the late William M'Keii/.ie, who was killed on the Show Ground recently, was held at Kakanui. There were present — M Lssrs. M. Morton, A. Thomson, A\. «T. Inglis, and K. Morton. A statement of the amounts subscribed was read as follows : Cash subscriptions—Messrs. Slicrwin and Freeman, L 1 ~> Is 3d ; Messrs. M. Morton and Thompson, L 24 Ms; Messrs. H. Matthews and 11. Morton, L 23 10s 4d; total, Lltt os o,i. Unpaid .subscriptions Messrs. M. Mortmi and Thompson, Ll9 lis; Messrs. <■'. Matthews and 11. Morton, L 4 10s; making a grand total of LS7 (is Oil. Mr. M. Morton was .-»i>Dointcd Treasurer, and Mr. R. Morton Sccreiary. It was decided to send out subscription lists, with a re-|uest that those to whom they are forwarded 'will return them with the amounts collected to the Secretary on or before the 20th inst. A meeting of the Committee of the Horticultural Society was held last evening in Mr. Hardy's Office. There were present IV. •!<.' Lautour (in the chair), Messrs. Simn.on. Hartley, Forsyth, Montagu, Glen, Frtile, Haywood, and Spratt (lion, secretary). Tiie offer of Mr. Karlc to supply music on the evi-iiing of the Show was was decided to a !c the several timber meri chants in town to allow the use of the timber necessary for staging. Some dis- , ctsssipn took place with reference to the disposal o; exhibits after the Show, in order that they might, not interfere with the holding of the usual service on Sunday. A solution of the difficulty was eventually arrived at. and some routine business having been disposed of. the meeting temiiiated. Lvster's Opera Troupe, numbering <S4. I have arrived in T> :». din. Tl'ov will give ! •• on S;,tir.Vi;;v and " Trovatore" i on M. 1 Til..- itrikinu' oi:i of ti.e clai:-o p-oviding :•••• a rebate of 10s. per aer« to promoters ot j special settlements in the Spesiid Settle- | in-lit-' Hill yesterday means a loss of about r. 12.000 to Vesey Stewart, who now feels inclined to gin- up his j:ropos:d altogether. Tlie own eo: respondent at Wellington of | the 0:ago Daily Times semis that paper tin: following : —The property tax probably will be modified by excluding personal eli'eets. such as furniture, tools, k:. ; but nobody at • pr-\-ciit seems to have any clear or defined t r.ti tl.-j subject.—The Government have | had joint flu ther information as to the loan, j but there is 110 practical change in the position of matters —namely, that at the outside only L 3,000,000 ''an be il riled by March next.