The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1207, 28 February 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1880.

A writer in the Lyttelton Times, signing himself " Christchurch," expresses himself as " glad to learn that for the present the removal of the accountant and cashier, with their staffs, has been countermanded. I fail to see the necessity of their removal to Duuedin because Mr. Conyers has gone there temporarily, to put matters straight, and I trust our Chamber of Commerce will follow up the energetic steps they have lately taken in this matter, and prevent the accomplishment of this great injustice to Christchurch." We cannot understand this wrangling over the body of the Commissioner for Railways. One would have thought that Christchurch would have too fully realised the dignity of the position which it should occupy to fight for the retention of the Commissioner's head-quarters in that city. The railway system of Christchurch has been put into admirable working order. What is the Christchurch Chamber of Commerce and the one-sided writer whose ideas we have just quoted want 1 If the Commissioner and the whole of his staff expended their entire income in Christchurch, the effect upon the business of a large congregation of shop-keepers would be so meagre as not to be noticeable. Their action can only be attribnted to a thoughtless disregard of other places, aud an inordinate desire to grab all they can get. If Mr. Conyers' presence and personal supervision are worth so much, why should not Dunedin have the benefit of them I The railway system centring in that city is much more complicated than that centring in Christchurch. For this reason even if the Dunedin system had been regulated with the care and ability that have been bestowed upon that of Christchurch, and got into as good working order—viewing the matter broadly, Mr. Conyers can be more useful in Duuedin than in Christchurch. But there is no foretelling what an hour may bring forth. Tiie management of our railways is being revolutionised, and the Commissionership may be turned topsy-turvy at any moment. How soon mainly depends upon the state of the digestive organs of the Minister for Public Works, or the nature of his diet. The duties of the head of the department may then become those of a migratory superintendent, constantly on the move, and effecting such reforms here and there as may to him seem desirable. The adoption of such a plan might be the means of securing the more efficient working of the railways : but, as yet, we canuofc Bee how it, or indeed any other change in the system of management, could effect any appreciable reductions in the expenditure of the department, aud, at the same time, maintain the present immunity from accidents —nor do we believe anyone else can do so. We are informed by telegram from Wellington that the revenue for the period of nine months ending the 31st of March will be L 107,000 short of the estimate, but that the working expenses have been reduced by L 22,000. It may anpear, at a first glance, that this reduction in working expenses is owing to the policy of retrenchment of which we have lately heard so much. But this would not be altogether a correct view to take of the matter. The fact is that there has been le3s work to do, in consequence of the falling off in business, and the department has been able to dispense with a number of its employes.