RAILWAY REFORM AND MR VAILE'S VISIT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1918, 21 October 1884, Page 3

RAILWAY REFORM AND MR VAILE'S VISIT.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — T sincerely hope that arrangements will be made to take advantage of Mr Samuel Vaile's oSer to address the settleis of Waikato on the railway question during his visit this week. I am not acquainted with Mr Vaile personally, but I have icad a good deal of what he has written on the railway subject dm ing the last seven years, and I confess that the more I think over his proposals the more I believe in them. His object as, I understand it, is to make the railways settle the conntiy, and to do this he would so arrange the lates for passengers and goods that farmers and others who settle one or two hundred miles up country would be vhtually no further (as far as railway charges are concerned) from the chief towns, than farmers ten miles out of town. He would charge the farmers at Cambridge or Te Awamntu very little more for taking himself or his ciops to Auckland than he would charge the farmer at Otahuhu or Papatoitoi, and he would trust to the increased settlement and traffic to soon make up the difference. He points out that this is an experiment which a new country only could make (in the interests of its settlement and development), and a country also which had, as New Zealand lias, the railway system in its hands. He contends that by the change he proposes being made, the railways would, even immediately, pay better than they do now, and that they would pay enormously by and by. For my own part, I think the gain to the country generally would be so great through the rapid strides settlement would make (especially if there were a guarantee given to settlers that the system would be given a fair trial, say for five years,) that the country should be gladly prepaied to lose several millions at the outset. I believe they would be the best invested millions that the colony has yet used. As I have said above, I hope something will be done to take advantage of Mr Vaile's offer (as intimated in your issue of Thursday last,) in all our Waikato towns, and then those who do not believe in Mr Vaile will have an opportunity of questioning him thoroughly. If a meeting can be arranged to be held in Cambridge, I hope that at least our farmers as a body will come in and hear what he has to say, for he is their best friend. I must admire Mr Vaile's perseverance. He has had a hard battle foi several years, but he is gradually getting a hearing, and I think also carrying conviction, and I hope he will keep on until his triumph is complete. I should be glad if the action of the Auckland Pallia mentary Union in making him Minister of Public Works, was but a precuisor of his being made Minister of Railways at least under the Parliament of the Colony. — I am, &c. Wm. N. de L. Willis. S. Andrew's, Cambridge. October 20th, 1884.