POLITICAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3426, 21 September 1885, Page 3

POLITICAL NEWS.

(By Telegraph.) (lUOM OUll OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, Sept. 20. A r ery little was doing m the House lasl night. Members were only awaiting the results of the Conferences which did no come. No agreement has yet been arrived a on the Land Bill. It is said tho Council wil not give way, and that if not the Governmen will drop tho Bi'l. On the other hand Ihea some mutual concessions are likely to be made The Conference resumes nt 9.30 a.m. to morrow, and the House meets at 10. Tli Council are fighting for the purchasing claus m the perpetual leasing system, also for th extension elsewhere of the Auckland home stead system, and the sale of cducatio reserves. The Council sat till 2 this (Sunday) morniu m spite of a strong protest against " Sabbat] breaking." In the end, Mr Reynolds, as practical protest, stonewalled till the Chairma at last left the chair. One of the most " sultry " Parliaments papers of the session was laid on the Tabl : last night by the Minister for Public Work: : It was a report by Mr J. P. Maxwell, Gencru Manager of Railways, upon Vaillo's proposal , respecting railway rates and fares. Mr Max well characterises Mr Vaille's so-calle [ "scheme of management" as consisting onl of "some very extravagantly expressed opinion , on the subject of rates and fares, mainly un supported by facts, and with many errors am misstnlements, comprised m various frog mentary circulars, letters and addresses. He accuses xklr V aille of great ignorance and ''inconsistency m proposing m effec differential rating and yet m othor letter: violently condemning it, and m seur rilously attacking those who do not ngrci with his projects." Tho Manager goei on to say : — " It is difficult seriously tt diseufs the inconsistencies and misstatementi with which Mr Vaille's writings abound When he suggests that it costs no more tc carry a ton of passengers than to carry a toy of coals he is writing nonsense, thongl ho may be unaware of it. When he says that the loss on our railways increasec from £ 180,855 m 1881 to £377,186 m 1882 and at tbis rate wo sbouJd m ISB3 require £2,500,000 to support our railways, he is making a statement which is misleading nnc 1 drawing a conclusion which is false. Ho may or may not be aware of this, but he is equally untrustworthy as a guide, and consequently should forfeit nil claim to the respest of iii telligcnfc men as an authority." In reference to Mr A'aille's admission that he has utterh failed to master tho rales and fares m use Mr Maxwell says: — "Cadets of 15 years ol ago who have passed the Sixth Standard al Government schools havo no difficulty m doing so." Mr Maxwell next quote; statements of distance on which Mi Vaillo hud based his criticism of tho cou rates, taking Springfield m Canterbury as hi: starting point, and shows that Mr Vaille'e distances arc all wrqng, the smallest erroi being 20 miles (m 45), and m one instance tho distance of 40 miles being stated as 8( nnd calculations based on his mistake. The Manager aelds " These figures Mr A r aille u;ec to give ovidenco to further misstateincnt: which he inado about tho coal rate. Hi: figures and opinions aro as n rule unrcliabli and untrustworthy, as ho has misstated dis tancps." Mr Maxwell then proceeds t< analyst) Mr Vaille's proposals, and shows tha had they been m force lust year they wouh have swept awoy the whole net profit not available towards interest, and woulti liavi left £355,000 to be necessarily raised by extn luxation. Mr Maxwoll 6ays Mr Vaille' statement is "untrue," his proposals "bad, 1 and Mint he " lms deceived himself and mislei others by his averages."