HOW TO WORK OUR RAILWAYS.

Timaru Herald, Volume L, Issue 4841, 12 May 1890, Page 4

HOW TO WORK OUR RAILWAYS.

Mr W. 8. Allen, who for twenty represented Stoke-on-Trent r in the Imperial. -Parliament and is now seeking election to House of Kepreientotives, addressed the people at Te Aroba recently, and devoted a considerable part of his address to railway management. His experience of railways m. England and America ha» been large, and ' he eaid that it had tanght him that there were two policies m the management of railways. "One was a miserable, wretched, cheeseparing, littleminded policy, that was always seeking to raise revenue by oharging as high passenger fares ac posiible, and ruining and demanding nnreaeonable freights ; by tailing off trains' if they- don't just pay for running ; m fact, starring your traffic and dirgusting and driving away, your customers who would otherwise' uso your Hoe. Thia is the policy ," says Mr W. H. Allea, ". I find invariably pursuod by men who know nothing about railways and think they know a great deal. There v another policy: To endeavour a* far »« ponible to please and accommodate your customers ; to eudeavour to attract pmengera to your lino by charging tho lowest fares possible nith the smallest margin of profit ; by end«sv?oring to attract an much freight as you can by charging the lowest possible rates for the different product* sent over your lino. Suppose a train does not pay, do not at once take it off, ' but endeavour lo make it pay by keopingitOD; give all tho facilities possible, make the lino popular and attract custom, and after a time, you will find it paying better than by adopting j the former policy. I am connected with different linen m Canada and America, which convey, tliousiods of tana of grain and thousand* of fcona of meat, and tho fares whicli are charged on these lines ore amazingly low — I might tay ridiculously low— but it pays, and if we were to act differently our neighbours would get the traffic, competition is to keen. I do not know whether the charges against your railway management are correct or not, but I do say it is thoduty.of the Government, and of tbe State, as owners of tho railways, to giro every facility (of encouraging the carringi) of freight j lo friaVo the railways a» popular tad m great » corivehienco to the nation at J»rg« m you possibly can do."