Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price ld. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1886. Mr Vaile’s Railway System.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1871, 16 August 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price ld. MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 1886. Mr Vaile’s Railway System.

Mb Samuel Vaile, of Auckland, is the apostle of railway reform in this colony. He 'firmly believes that the railways are badly managed by the Government, and that if his proposed system of fares and charges were adopted, the public would be largely benefited and the railways would show better returns than they at present do. We have on several previous occasions referred to the details of Mr Vaile’s railway reform scheme, so it is not now necessary to go into it again. Mr Vaile has always possessed that courage which springs from a genuine belief in the goodness of his cause. In face of all kinds of attacks by Government newspapers, Mr Vaile persevered in putting the details of his scheme before the public. He travelled over a great part of the colony, addressed public meetings, Chambers of Commerce, and other public bodies, and generally gave the fullest publicity to his proposals. Not content with these measures, Mr Vaile next brought his scheme before Parliament, and succeeded in obtaining a Select Committee to take evidence and report upon the whole business. This Committee, held a large number of sittings, took an enormous mass of evidence and finally sent in their report, This report is to the effect that the balance 'of evidence taken is unfavorable to Mr Vaile’s scheme proving profitable financially. But the Committee then add "Ou the other hand, the returns furnished to the Committee by the Railway Department, and included in the evidence, giving detailed particulars of the passenger tragic, and the revenue derived from it, from station to station, and for the various distances to some extent supported M; Vailc’s contentious." The Committee then report as follows : —(I) That it may be inferred, from the numerous petitions on the subject referred to this Committee that a great deal of discontent and desire lor change exist in the colony in regard to the present system of railway management. These petitions also favor the adoption of Mr Vaile’s system. 2. That although the system now in force in New Zealand is similar to that in the United Kingdom and its dependencies, and is well administered, it is nevertheless not satisfactory as a system. 3. That there is generally a belief that the present scale of charges is higher than is desirable in the best interests of the colony, and that a considerably reduced scale, especially as regards ihe carriage of goods for long distances, and, as regards New Zealand products, would largely promote settlement and production. For these reasons, while admitting that the evidence adduced in favor of Mr Vaile’s system has not been sufficient to prove that it would be a financial success, or to warrant its application to the railways of the colony as a whole ; the Committee, bearing in mind the great importance of the subject, is of opinion that a trial should be given to the system on an isolated section of our railways. It wonld, however, be unfair that cne part of the colony should enjoy the advantage of cheap transit, thereby enhancing the value of property therein, at the expense of the general colonial revenue, therefore the following proviso is necessary, and the Committee recommends the Government, by legislation, to give the local bodies the power of carrying it into effect where they so desire : Provided that the vaiious local bodies in the di- :rict served by the section of railways to which this scheme is to be applied, shal have previously struck a rate sufficient, in Iho opinion of the Governor, to recoup any loss to the revenue which it may entail. Such loss, if any, to be calculated on the basis of the reveuue of that section for the past financial year, with the average increase or decrease of the general revenue of the New Zealand Railways either added or deducted. We hope that the Government will try Mr Vaile’s scheme “ on an isolated section of the railways.” It is quite possible that Mr Vaile’s idea of carrying passengers on the railways ut very moderate fares mightthrough a large increase in the number of persons induced, to travel—prove not only advantageous to ihe public bnt also profitable to the Government The present passenger lares on the railways are so high that people do not. as a rule, travel for pleasure, except when cheap excursion trains are run; while tha ordinary passengers are mostly confined to people travelling ou business. In any case, the Government cannot go wrong m giving Mr Vaile’B system an experimental tiini on a special section c£ the tail way 3. Mr V.iiVs scheme may prove to he a good one and it K well to give him tho chance of possibly .-h ,r ing that such is the case. Thu result of Gove’ muent adiviiiis'rulioii of the rail vays is it Serious frl'ing off in llm revenue from that source, Perhaps in Mr Valle’s propos may be found the means of altering ibis state o; shin’s for the belter