PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1890.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8768, 2 May 1890, Page 2

PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 2, 1890.

That our railways are not managed in a profitable manner is the general opinion of those who have given the matter any attention, and wo are therefore not surprised to learn from one who has had considerable experience in England and America that tlie policy being adopted in New Zealand in running the railways is open to improvement. A gentleman of the name of Allen, who has represented for twenty years in the House of Commons a large constituency in the North of England, in an address recently delivered at Te Aroha in commenting on railway management in New Zealand, said he had. had a very large experience of railways in both England and America. His experience had taught him that there were two policies in the management of railways — "One was a miserable, wretched, cheese-paring, littleminded policy, that was always seeking to raise revenue by charging as high passenger fares as possible, and raising and demanding unreasonable freights ; by taking off trains if they don't just pay for running; in fact, starring your traffic and disgusting and driving away your customers who would otherwise use your line. "This is the policy," says Mr W. S. Allen, "I find invariably pursued by men who know nothing about railways and think they know a great deal. There is another polioy :—: — To endeavour as far as possible to please and accommodate your customers, to en deavour to attract passengers to your line, by charging the lowest fares possible with the smallest margin of profit ; by endeavoring to attract as much fieight as you can, by charging the lowest possible rates for tho different products sent over your line, Suppose a train does not pay, do not at once take it off, but endeavor to make it pay by keeping it on ; give all the facilities possible, make the line popular and attract custom, and after a time you will find it paying better than by adopting the former policy. [am connected with different lines in Canada and America, which convey thousands of tons of grain and thousand of tons of meat, and the fares which are charged on these lines are amazingly low — I might say ridiculously low — but it pays, and if we were to act differently our neighbors would get the traffic, competition is so keen. I do not know whether the charges against your railway management are correct or not, but I do say it is the duty of the Government, and of tho State, as owners of the railways, to give every facility for encouraging the carriage of freight ; to make the railways as popular and as groat a convenience to the nation at large as you possibly can do. That Mr Allen is right is very evident, for during the Bix months the authorities have been issuing excursion tickets to enable persons at a cheap rate to visit the Dunediu Exhibition, there has been a large increase in the railway revenue. This shows that if low fares were charged more persons would avail themselves of the trains to vitit other parts p£ tliQ colony on pleasure

trips; but whilst almost prohibitory rates are in force, none will leave their homes without compelled to do so on business.

Messrs Sole Bros, are purchasers -of game during the season.

On the bowling green on Thursday afternoon Messrs C. Croagmilo, and J. Vealo, played off for Mr F. G. Jones' prize bowls, when tho latter won. The scores were : — Veale 21, Creagmile 10. This finished tho competitions for tho season.

Numerous enquiries were boing made on Thursday night, respecting a person who went by tho ordinary name of Tom Collins. This person was represented as a pugilist from the States who, relying on his fistic abilities to pull him through any trouble, slandered people wholesale. Several people got so annoyed at the supposed vile calumnies ho spread broadcast about them that theyspcntconsidorabletimeinßearchingfor the man to have an understanding with him. First they were told by those, who know all about Collins, that he was at this hotel, then at another place, and so the unfortunate who "caught on" to the yarns was kept pegging away in search of an imaginary person. In several instances the joke worked splendidly, and tho persons, who were hood winked, frankly admitted afterwards that it was the neatest sell they ever had.

Dr Newman, M.H.R., is tho last in Wellington who has been seized with " La Grippe," or as tho papers in that city aro now terming it "that tyrannical thing, influenza."

In the District Court in Bankruptcy this (Friday) morning, Mr Roy moved for an order of discharge on behalf of Goorg* Box, publican. The D.O.A. had no objections to the application, which was granted.

A man, armed with a suspicious looking stick, was observed keeping up a steady patrol of Devon-street this afternoon. It was said that he was looking for Tom Collins.

Tho plant for the Egmont Settler, tho new organ that is to bo published at Stratford, arrived by the Wanaka this (Friday) morning.