THE HERALD CORRESPONDENT AND THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2578, 19 January 1889, Page 2

THE HERALD CORRESPONDENT AND THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.

Dun Kihikihi correspondent writes :—ln the Herald of 15tli inst., a paragraph headed Kihikihi appeared, stating that the, appointment of the Board of Railway Commissioners was viewed favourably in the district. The news (?) is purely imaginary. The people are averse to the Commission. They never liked the idea ; still less do they like the Board as constituted. If any efforts are made to try to alter the matter, this precious statement will be quoted as a proof th.it the people do not know their own minds, and that on the appointment being made known they were satisfied. As long as nothing of any consequence was involved, the writer could amuse himself by giving his own opinions as those of the public ; but it is time to contradict, sush a palpable error when anything pertaining to such an important mutter as our railways is involved. The remainder of the paragraph treats of a subject of great interest to farmers, viz., the trucking of cattle. The writer has in that matter given a correct exposition of the views of the public, but when writing on the important subject of the personnel of the railway commission ho should be careful to bo as correct as in the other matter. There is a general feeling that we are only getting out of the frying pan by escaping into the fire. If the public did not feel satisfied with Mr Maxwell as general manager responsible to the Government, they are less likely to feel satisfied with Mr Maxwell as a commissioner practically responsible to no one, and as the railways are public property the public have a right to express their opinion of the management. Throughout the country a general expression of satisfaction was felt when that gentleman left the colony as it was thought for good, so little was his management liked ; now ho is back and more master of the situation than ever, is it likely people are pleased at the increase of power given to him? It is time such mischicvious statements as appear in the Herald were contradicted, for they are only calculated to confuse and mislead. Mr Maxwell must be an exceedingly clever man to defy the whole populatiod with the exception of a few friends in the Cabinet, and successfully defy then) too, for notwithstanding the statement made by the Minister for Public Works that whoever was appointed, Mr Maxwell would not be one of the Board, we see him duly installed in thp. position. Some advocate the selling of our railways, that would be a retrograde, and not a progressive step. To work our linos to advantage ii» more should be expected for a time than sullicient to pay expenses and interest and _ provide a sinking fund for repairs, etc. Even that oamiot be done under the present mismanagement, for instead of assisting they arc retarding settlement. Under proper management doubtless a private company jould make them profitable and without theexcessive and vexatious impositions that press so heavily now, but if that could be done and a profit made by a company, why not also by the Government? Why should not the State reap any benefits to be derived from good management instead of private individuals? If a company can procure good men the State should be equally well able to do the same. Perhaps now that political control is removed (?) they may be worked on different lines, but it is only fair to assume that as Mr Maxwell has shown himself to bo so powerful as to do as he liked hitherto, he will not display any more desire to alter this existing state of affairs as regards freights and differential rates. As General Manager hecould surely have done so long ago had he liked. Talking to a friend one day about the different rates on produce in force here, and in Canterbury and Otago, he said, " while so many shareholders in the Union Company can bring influence to bear you will never see the same concessions made here, for the bettor the position of those fanners to compete with farmers here, the more freight will the Union Steamers have." If we sold our railways we could only do so at a great loss upon the cost of constructions and purchase for since that infamous I) istriot Railways Purchase Bill was passed we have been saddled, with some lines that will not pay for very many years to como. If we can only hold on for a while longer, rouse the colony to united action, send n.eii to the .House who have no selfish ends to serve, and who will not be overawed by Mr Maxwell or anyone else, the railways will become a powerful factor in tho progress and development of the country. To soil now, would, to be sure, relieve us of a great deal of interest, but would any sane body of men give anything like the cost of construction for the llotorua line or that portion of the trunk line, which runs from To Awamutu to Waiteti, with that monument of dishonesty and corruption—the tunnel —thrown in? The only sensible action the Government have taken in connection with tho New Zealand railways, was the stoppage of all works beyond Waiteti. A certain sacred House eighteen hundred years ago was cleared of its occupants in a very forcible manner, and an epithet was applied to the condition to which they had reduced it, which might not very inappropriately be applied to the state of our New Zealand House of Representalhes.