Colonial Railway Comparisons.

Southland Times, Issue 12013, 2 May 1892, Page 2

Colonial Railway Comparisons.

. * . (Daily Telegraph.) It has been the habit of late to make comparisons to the detriment of Victoria as to the results which spring from the railway system of New South Wales against the returns derived from our own lines. In an interview with a Daily Telegraph reporter Mr Speight explained that under the different systems of management pursued here and in the mother colony it would be difficult to make comparisons. The Commissioners in this colany were under a great disadvantage from the fact that they had no allowance from Parliament for the conveyance of persons possessing free passes, while in New South Wales the department was credited with L 30,000 for this purpose alone. The Commissioners in this colony had to pay last year something like 40,000 as compensation to employes who had been a long time in the service, and whose rights and privileges were maintained to them by Acts of Parliament. The coal used on the Victorian lines had to come from New Sonth Wales, aud the carriage alone came to L 150,000 last year above what had to be paid in the year by i lie Railway Commissioners across the Murray. In New South Wales the Commissioners h-td not to pay interest on lines in course of construction, and not at all until they had been taken over for twelve monthi. In Victoria the exact opposite was the custom, for the Commissioners had to pay interest on the cost of construction from the time the first sod was turned. In making a comparison of receipts of the two colonies, Mr Speight pointed out that during the last three years the period in which the New South Wales Commissioners had held office, there had been 600 miles of new railways opened here, while the. mileage in New South Wales had remained stationaiy all the time. The credit balance in net returns decreased as the l miles opened increased until the credit beoa.ne a debit. Taking the three years they would find that the Victorian railways suffered a loss only of L 700,000, as against the loss of L528.C00 on the New South Wales railways. This, too, in spite of the fact that the Victorian railways had to contend ag-Jnst the exceptional charges which have been enumerated, and which would in thctt period come to an enormous sum. These charges for the three years were explained as follows : — New South Walen Par-

' liamentary grant towards free passes* L 105,000 : compensation to employes paid by Victorian Commissioners, LI 10,000; extra price of coal j.aid by Victorian Commissioners, L 300.000 ; interest on additional capital expended on < onstruction, estimated at L2oo.ooo— total, L;i5,000.