The Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1869.,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 329, 3 June 1869, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1869.,

*p Quit readers will remember that shortly before the present session of the Council we called attention to the current rumours affecting the management of tlio G-overnment railways. Other journals followed our example, with the solitary exception of the Press, which <:uutented itself with publishing a. letter containing a most violent and scurrilous attack upon the LyiteHon 'Times and ourselves, because we perf.irmed our duty to the public by calling attention to the above named irregularities. Mr E. J. Wakefifild, iv ;j letter to the Press, denied th-j authorship of this unseemly letter. The effect of his denial has been simple astonishment that another man could lio found in Christchurch capablo of concocting such an epistle. To us it is a matter of no consequence whatever

whether Mr Waki'lio d did or did not write the letter, or -whether it was the joint production of two or three railway officials, asssisted by the sub-editor of the Press. The result in either ease is exactly the Fame. The letter was a disgrace to the journal which admitted ifc, and we are glad to learn that it is looked at in that light by some, at any rate, of those who are connected with our contemporary. That these few have not been able to induce their co directors to apologise for its insertion is, we think, a matter of regret so far as the character of the Press ia coucorned. That we were perfectly right in calling public attention to the mismanagement of the railways, there can now be no longer any question. Tlie report of the committee appointed to consider the matter is conclusively damnatory of the Government, the officials, and the system. The committee blame the Government for not having exercised proper supervision over the officials, and for uot having supplied them with sufficient instructions as to their duties. If the report is a true inference from facfs, then this is sufficient in itself to condemn the Government. What would be the natural consequence, in the conduct of any ordinary business, of want of supervision on the part of the manager, and of leaving workmen to do as they like ? "What would become of Mr Anderson or Mr Bailey, or any other large employer of labour, if there was no supervision in their establishments, and if the men were lfcft without proper instructions ? Why, in the course of a year or two, they would be in the Gazette, to a dead certainty. And what is true of them, \-i still more true of the government railways. No wonder they are being worked at a loss to the country. The wonder is that the loss is not far heavier thau" it is. Tho Press and its correspondents are furious with those who wish to expose the rottenness of the present system. It certainly does not improve in the light. What 'do tho half a dozen independent gentlemen on the committee say after hearing all the witnesses qualified to give evidence ? Here is a list of the indictments, and, after reading them, we appeal to the public if we were not justified in stirring up this hidden mass of inefficiency. The committee say that 1st — There are too many officials. 2nd — That the officials make matters worse by pulling against one another. 3rd — That some of then do not attend properly to their work. 4th — Tlmt owing to these causes the work of the railway has been seriously hindered. 5lb — Tliat, from mismanagement, railway trucks have been turned into storehouses, to tbe great hindrance of tlie traffic 6:h — That the rolling stock has been allowed to deteriorate from want of p»-op r repair. 7th — That the permanent way on the Southern line has been seriously injured by running wagons upon it which are out of repair, and by using engines which are too heavy for the rails. These are the principal charges against the Government system of railway management, and, if correct, wo think they are quite sufficient to account for the fact that the railways do not pay. Under the circumstances, we think most people would be surprised if they did. It will be the duty of the Council to consider the report and decide upon some measure of complete reform.