The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1880.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 596, 16 October 1880, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1880.

Do _ our railways pay 1 is rather an anxious question just now, and where the answer is honestly given it is, and must be, in the negative, The job lines—the unprofitable sections—the political frauds-have not yet been weeded out, and until they'are, the Colony cannot right itself in this department. The economies now bein« resorted tend to improve our position, but that is all that can be said of them. The Christcliurch Press, speaking of the last published railway returns, declares that Major Atkinson's estimate of receipts for the current year has not been realised so far by what would represent £128,000 for the current year, On the other hand, the expenditure has been kept below the estimate by a sum which would be equivalent' to £13,403 for the twelve months, But inasmuch as we have been dealing with a period during which the economies agreed to in the House have scarcely been in operation, it is fair to conclude that the Minister for Public Works will at the close of the year be in a position to show that he has effected a very material reduction in the cost of the department, The recent changes which have been made in the mode of administration will leave Mr Oliver no excuse if lie fails, He will have the departmental head at the seat of Government, and therefore immediately under his control. He will have it in his power really to direpjb the administration of the permanent pacers, instead of being, as he had hitherto lieen, practically powerless, It will, we therefore say, be the Minister's own fault if he is not successful. And while we have a right to look for material sayjngs in tjje cost of administration, .we may fairly look forward to gome increase in tl)e revenue for the remaining thirty-two weeks of the financial year. %& wool season will soon begm, and when tljat is over the grain season will once more be in operation, Then there is. the new tariff, Under it an advance has .been made in the.charge for the cairiago of nearly everything that is conveyed by the railways. : This should have the effect of assisting the revenue, always pi'oykjed, of course, the mistake has not b?en mack? of fixing the tariff so high .as to.driye the traffic into private ■hands',. .fy is therefore'possible (ibat, owing tp jthe Reductions on tie one hand,iw4 the new rates on the other,.! the revenue which Ministers calculated ' on receiving this year from the pa}jways may" be nearly, if not cjuite, . realised. '