THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. THURSDAY, 15th AUGUST, 1895.

Southland Times, Issue 13288, 15 August 1895, Page 2

THE Southland Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. THURSDAY, 15th AUGUST, 1895.

Currency has been given recently by the press to a statement that the Hon, the Minister of Railways contemplates making a trial of the “stage system,” so long and so strenuously advocated by Mr Samuel Vaile, of Auckland, This system, it is well known; is similar in principle to the ‘zone’ method which has been so successful in Hungary, Its leading features are, a large reduction infares, and an approach to the equalisation of distances. It aims at extending widely the benefits of our railways,which hitherto, by universal consent, have failed to achieve the great purposes of their construction. The people, under the proposed method,are to have the use of the railways on terms that will make them accessible to all, whether for commerce,or social intercourse,or recreation. Country, waste and useless at present, owing to its distance from a market and the extreme rates exacted for carriage of produce, is to be brought near through a greatly reduced tariff. The number of passengers, it is expected, will by reduced fares be so multiplied that the receipts will equal or exceed these drawn from the few who now travel,while the expense of haulage will not be appreciably increased. The spectacle, so galling and humiliating, of trains of nearly empty carriages rumbling along our lines will under the new system cease to be seen. The produce of lands, brought near by lowered rates, will before long add so largely to the revenue that compensation will be obtained for the reduction. And, by the additional hands required for the increased cultivation, the most effectual remedy will be found for the congestion of the labour market which at present is the despair of statesmen and philanthropists. These are the benefits claimed as certain to spring from the adoption of the b >l<l policy of which we have given a meagre outline. And Mr Vaile is no dreamer. He has beyond question the mind of a statesman, and has worked cut his calculations to the satisfaction of a large and intelligent following. What he and his friends have for years persistently demanded is a trial of bis system on some one of the State lines of railway. It has been frequently expected that this trial would be given, and if we do not mistake, a recommendation of some sort was made by the House of Representatives that it should be accorded. We are certain that a large number of the people who have been indoctrinated in Mr Vaile’s system, and more or less convinced of its soundness, will rejoice in the prospect that is now i opening up and will cordially approve of the design now attributed to the Minister. It is said that Mr Gadman not only means to put Mr Vaile’s theories to the test but that be perceives the fairness of placing that gentleman in charge of the, experiment. This would be necessary, for it could hardly be expected that a Department, wedded to the existing order of things and having an immovable trust in its own wisdom, would be likely to administer kindly and impartially what was intended to overthrow in the issue its most obstinate prejudices. The Minister of Railways seems to have given evidence that he himself is above prejudice in this 'matter, and that he is willing to abandon traditions, if only the great instrument that he controls can be made to serve more effectively the object of its existence. Now is the time for all who have been impressed by Mr Vaile’s teaching to lend their influence to strengthen the resolution which Mr Cadman is alleged to be on the eve of forming.