Fair Play SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1894. The Railway Commissioners.

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 13, 27 January 1894, Page 12

Fair Play SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1894. The Railway Commissioners.

The Government had a chance of showing that they possess prudence and generosity. They have, however, chosen to exhibit neither of these admirable qualties in their treatment of the Railway Commissioners, but o display instead a spirit of personal animosity and revenge allied to a disregard for the best interests of the colony, which is positively astounding in its crass- folly. Seeing that they are so anxious that the new Parliament shall settle the whole question of the administration of the railways of the colony, the prudent

and proper course to have followed would have been to allow Messrs McKerrow, Maxwell, and Hannay to remain in office until such time as the new House determines a change shall be made, and decide upon the exact nature of that change. The three gentlemen in question have had charge of the railways for some considerable time and no incompetency or wilful dereliction of duty has ever been proved against them. Prom time to time it is true there have been complaints made only too frequently for political purposes, and when investigated proved to be utterly groundless, and by an ignorant and prejudiced section of the press- Exceptionhasbeen taken to the way in which the Commissioners dealt with the trouble which cropped up at the time of the great Maritime Strike, that monumental piece of folly which brought such disastrous results upon so many thousands of workers in the colony. The Commissioners on that occasion took such steps as prevented the total paralysis of the railway system over which they have control, a paralysis which would have ruined hundreds of farmers, and worked irretrievable damage to the export trade of the colony. The wild and wicked incitements to strike which were poured forth at that time by that section of the press to which we have alluded were, however, unheeded by the men, and the firm stand taken by the Commissioners undoubtedly had the effect of saving the colony hundreds of pounds ; indeed, of preventing widespread ruin. But in doing their duty manfully and bravely, the Commissioners incurred the dislike, almost the hatred, of a small but truculent section of the Labor Party, and these latter have been long an anxiously awaiting the time when. they should have their revenge. Instruments to effect that revenge have unfortunately been found in the members of the present Ministry, and two old and thoroughly experienced servants are now dismissed at a day’s notice, with less consideration and courtesy than would be given to an ordinary office boy of whom his employers wished to get rid. Pair Plat has no hesitation in saying that the Government has not treated Messrs Maxwell and Hannay with the slightest semblance of fair play On the contrary the treatment meted out to these gentlemen; gentlemen of whose competency there has been no serious question, cannot be characterised as being otherwise than most cruelly unjust, and this view, we feel

certain, ■will be held by every respectable paper in the colony. We support the policy of the present Government as a whole, we believe that Ministers mean well, that they are desirous of promoting the welfare of the colony, and it is with the greatest regret that we feel constrained to write as we have done on this matter, but Fair Plat is not bound to any party, to any one set of men, but holds itself free to criticise the Ministerial policy with the utmost freedom. In this particular case of the Commissioners we cannot but consider the Government have made a grievous mistake. We having nothing ' L o say against the two new commissioners. Bot are men who, we believe, will eventually prove excellent successors to the two men they replace, but why, for a short period of nine months, two comparatively inexperienced men should be put into office to replace two men who have not been proved to be incapable is a mystery which admits of but one solution —namely, that the charge has been made in obedience to a spirit of personal animosity and personal revenge. And the Government are as illogical in this matter as they are grossly unfair. If mistakes have been made, if the railway management of the three commissioners has not been what it should have been surely Mr. McKerrow, the Chief Commissioner, is equally at fault with his colleagues. Yet he is retained and they are dismissed! This is making fish of one and flesh of another, with a vengeance. Why have Mr. McKerrow’s services been retained ? He does not possess one millionth part of the practical experience of Messrs Maxwell and Hannay, and yet 10, and behold it is he who is to coach up the new Commissioners in their duties, it is he who is picked out for special consideration and favor. There is an ugly mm our abroad as to the retention of Mr. McKerrow. It is said, with what degree of truth we do not know, that Mr. McKerrow’s brother is a personal friend and strong political supporter of one of the Ministers and that the Minister in question insisted upon the retention in office of the Chief Commissioner. Hence the illogical position taken up by the Government. We do not know whether the rumour be true, but if it is, a great wrong has been committed, a piece of scandalous favouritism and injustice, and one of - which we hope much more will be heard when the new Parliament assembles. We are in favour of the Minister of Public Works having a seat on the Board,

and with the power of Veto, which power, we are pleased to observe the Government have relinquished the idea of retaining, in the bill withdrawn last session, but which will be re-introduced in the new Parliament. We believe also that the management of the railways can be much improved upon, but we do not believe that any good has been done or is likely to be done by the action of the Government in dismissing two thoroughly experienced officers and by replacing them by one gentleman who has no railway experience whatever, and by another whose experience has been principally gained on one of the smallest and least important lines in the colony. As to the retention of Mr. McKerrow wo have already expressed an opinion to which to-day we need not add. 'J he Government would have acted prudently in retaining the service of Alessrs Maxwell and Hannay until such term as the new Parliament had considered the whole subject of railway control, and they would have acted generously in disregarding any feeling of personal animosity against these gentlemen. They have, however, thrown both prudence and generosity to the winds and outside a few truckling and toadying Ministerial papers, their action will be roundly condemned from one end of the colony to the- other.