THE RAILWAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4857, 24 January 1894, Page 1

THE RAILWAYS.

REPORT BT THE RETIRING COMMISSIONERS. [Per Pbsss Association.] WELLINGTON, Jan. 23. The late Commissioners, before retiring from office, prepared a short report, closing the record of their term of office up to Jan. 20. It states that since the annual report on March M, 1893, fifty-nine miles of railway have been opened up. The net revenue from March 31 to Jan. 6 is £315.999, as against £311,288 for the similiar period of the preceding year. As the beßt three months of the year have to come the Commissioners anticipate that the estimate will be realised. The traffic officers report that the -traffic staff is efficient, while the staff generally is in astate of excellent organisation. The system introduced in 1880 of engaging lads only in the different branches of service, and training and educating them for their various duties, and the system of classification of pay and promotion from the lower to higher grades have, the Commissioners state, answered excellently, and the service is now manned by officers and men trained to railway and telegraph work. The report on colonial railway stores shows that during the Commissioners' term of office the value of the stock and stores in hand had been increased by £1118, and other reports state that there haß been a large improvement in engine-power, rolling stock, appliances, lines and structures during tbe Commissioners' term, all made from working expenses. By tbis means the capital value of the line*, and the net profits have been increased. [fkom ottb special cobbebpondbnt.] As the Railway Commissioners were appointed on Jan. 23, 1839, their five years' term of office expired at midnight on Monday la.t, and the reign of Messrß M'Kerrow, Ron»yne and Scott has already begun. It has been tho custom of the Board to hold weekly meetings, and as Mr M'Kerrow is the only Commissioner at presont in Wellington, he wili exercise the commission seal until his new coadjntors arrive from the south. They are expected by the first boat. The North Otago Times thinks that the new appointments will give rise to a diversity of opinion, though few will break their hearts over Mr Maxwell's retirement. He is a man of unquestionable ability, though he greatly overrated himself, and was habitually unconciliatory, to say the least, to the public. Mr Hannay was as modest in his office of commissioner as Mr Maxwell was overbearing, and many people will be sorry to learn that the Government has also dispensed with his services, though both he and Mr Maxwell, arid Mr M'Kerrow too for that matter, were paid above theif qualifications as railway managers ; but that waß the mistake of the last Government. The news is, we repeat, on the whole fairly satisfactory, and it is to be hoped that the new Parliament will consider the whole question of railway mansgement in a dispassionate manner, and from a patriotic rather than any other point of view. The Wellington Post, while strongly condemning the action of the Government, admit that capable men have been chosen. It says : — " We have no fear, however, of either Mr Ronayne or Mr Scott entering on the spy or detective business to make out a caße for the Government. They are honourable men, who will, we hope, prove fully equal to the responsibility of their new positions, and refrain from urging any revolutionary changes to pander to party prejudices or political purposes." With one or two possible exceptions (says the Oamaru Mail) everybody will be pleased that the Rail way Commissionerships have been settled, if only for nine months. . . . Whether the Government will recommend to Parliament that the present arrangement should stand for longer than nine months will, it may be assumed, depend upon the capacity displayed by the new men ; but, as a provisional settlement of a vexed question, the new Board will be universally acceptable. The newspapers which sought to impeach the Government on the basis of rumours concocted by themselves, that the Commissionerships would be offered to friends of the Government, irrespective of their capacity to perform the .duties of the position, will now have nothing left on which to ring the changes but the awful rascality of tho Hon John M'Kenzie over certain land purchases and the sad mutability of Conservative politics. The Dunedin Star, in the course of an article dealing with the appointments, says : — Mr Ronayne has length of service and an excellent record to serve him. As locomotive superintendent of the Middle Rjland sections, after Mr Alison Smith's removal to Yiotoria, he did good work, and was very popular with his subordinates of ail branches. He is regarded as a quiet, unobtrusive man, with a thorough knowledge of his special business, but is known to have strong leanings in a certain direction, which may account for bis selection for preferment, especially as .there has been a feeling current throughout the Bervice that he was not altogether fairly treated after the events cf 1890 in being relegated to the West Coast*.