Railway Reform and Reformers.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 22, 3 June 1893, Page 509

Railway Reform and Reformers.

THE VAILE PRESENTATION.

TAKING the world at large, there is probably no public question that of late years has commanded so much attention as railway administration. In Great Britain the question of the day is Home Rule ; in America, Labour v. Capital; in France, the Panama scandals; in Germany, the Army Bill; in Russia, the famine ; in Australia, the financial crisis ; but in all these countries a more or less active agitation has been going on, having for its object the securing a better and more popular system of Railway administration. There seems to be a growing feeling among the nations of the world, that somehow or other its railways are largely responsible for the existing social and commercial troubles. A few years ago railway matters excited little or no attention ; now, however, the case is different, and during the last five years a large number cf books, and review and newspaper articles, dealing with this subject, have issued from the press. It is, however, curious to note thant none of these writers deal with the question of railway policy as distinguished from railway management, and they all, or nearly all, seem to think that the whole matter is summed up in the words, ‘give us cheap transportation.’ To show how little this great question has been considered we give the following quotation from one of the best writers on railway subjects, Mr W. M. Ackworth, who in 1891 in his work, • The Railway and the Traders ’ wrote thus : ‘ With us railway literature of a serious kind is, with the single exception of Mr Grierson’s admirably temperate but necessarily

partisan work on “ Railway Rates,” absolutely non-existent,' and this single exception deals with railway rating only. As in some other matters it has fallen to the lot of New Zealand to lead the world in this great question, for in this city originated the first serious attempt to reform the policy of railway administration. We propose to give a brief sketch of the rise and progress of this movement. In 1882 Mr Samuel Vaile devoted his attention to the study of the railway problem. For many years previously he had been considering the poverty problem, and had arrived at the conclusion that poverty mainly arose from the overcrowding of cities, and the fact that it was impossible for labour to live on land. His study of the railway question led him to the conclusion that this again was due to the faulty, or as he puts it, ‘ vicious ’ system of railway transit. Having made this discovery, he determined that nothing should be wanting on his part to bring about such a revolution as would enable the toilers to live on one or more acres of land, while at the same time they should have easy access to the great centres of industrial operations. He believes he has discovered a method by which industrial centres may be created throughout the length and breadth of the land, and that thereby the wealth, comfort, and happiness of the community will be enormously increased. In short, his idea is, by practically annihilating distance as regards cost of transit, to render it possible for industrial operations to be carried on at any distance from a seaport. This he claims he can do not only without loss to the revenue, but with very great advantage to it. He says that at present railway finance is based on an utterly wrong principle. Mr Vaile commenced his crusade by letters to the press V in January, 1883, and in November of that year read a paper before the Auckland Institute on ‘ The Railways of the Colony,’ which commanded great attention, and was reproduced in all the leading papers in the colony. He gave his first lecture in July, 1884, in the Lome street Hall.

This created a favourable impression, and Mr J. I’. Maxwell who was then General Manager was ordered to report on it. His report forms Parliamentary Paper, D—3—, 1885. It is rude, untruthful, and scurrilous in tone, and has been spoken of as a disgrace to the colony and to

the Minister who produced it. It is interesting as showing to what lengths railway men will proceed to prevent any interference with a department they consider their own. Mr Vaile had drawn public attention to the heavy differential rating which then existed against the North Island, which placed its producers at a disadvantage of from 17i per cent to 37 J per cent., as compared with the South Island. In October, 1884, Messrs W. Conyers, late Commissioner of South Island Railways ; J. Stoddart, of the Great Western; R. W. Moody, of the Great Northern; T. D. Edmonds, of the Great Western and Hurnnui-Bluff, all signed and published statements that they had carefully examined Mr Vaile’s proposals, and that they were satisfied his system would increase the passenger traffic at least 200 per cent without making any perceptible increase in the working expenses. This according to their estimate would mean an addition of £200,000 net per annum to the railway revenue. As they are all railway men of large practical experience, they are not likely to be far out. In December, 1884, in response to an invitation from the settlers Mr Vaile went to the Waikato and lectured in all the towns there, carrying his audiences entirely with him. In March following Mr Vaile proceeded South, and starting at Napier lectured in every chief town right down to Invercargill. Everywhere he was well received, the Mayor of the city in each case presiding at the meetings held. As a result of the interest excited by these lectures, and the pressure of the numerous petitions presented to Parlia-

ment asking for a trial of the new system, in the session of 1886 a committee consisting of the Hon. Major Atkinson, Hon. Mr McAndrew. Hon. E. Richardson, Hon. E. Mitchelson, Hon. Mr Ormond, Mr Gore, Mr Hatch, Mr J. B. Whyte, Mr O'Conner, and Mr Walker was appointed to investigate Mr Vaile’s proposals. This committee sat for nearly ten weeks, Mr Vaile conducting the case on his own side. All the chief officers of the department were examined and the committee finally reported that the system ought to be tried. Anothercommittee was appointed in 1890, but for some reason this committee refused to allow Mr Vaile to attend in person, and nothing was done. In August, 1888, a number of leading Auckland citizens joined Mr Vaile in making an offer to the Government to lease the Auckland lines for the purpose of testing the new system. They offered to give substantial guarantees that the Government should receive &n .increased revenue, that the lines and rolling stock should not be injured, and that they should be handed back in good order at any time on receipt of six months’ notice. This offer was somewhat curtly refused. In January, 1889, the present Railway Commissioners were appointed for a term of five years. This was a heavy blow to the reform movement, indeed for their term of office it has killed it, as they are all firmly wedded to the old system, which they maintain cannot be improved upon. Mr Vaile, however, continued his efforts, and towards the end of 1889 started the Railway Reform League, which brought fresh pressure to bear on the Government but without success, as the Commissioners, of course, refused to do anything. In the same year the Hungarians started their ‘Zone ’ system, which is thought to ba an adaptation of Mr Vaile’s stages system ; this has been worked with marked financial success. Notwithstanding the opposition of the Railway Commissioners Mr Vaile continues his efforts, and by numerous letters to the press all over the colony, keen criticisms of the Commissioners’ reports, and public discussions one very possible opportunity, keeps the railway question well to the front.

Chairman of the Executive Committee, Railway Reform League Mr Vaile has always taken a deep interest in the ‘ Poverty Problem/ which he contends can only be favourably solved by altering the present railway transit system, which is practically the same all the world over. He points

out that as railway fares and rates are always charged at so much for every mile passed over, the practical effect is to erect a turnpike at every mile. This it is, he says, which has not only compelled the people to crowd into the great cities, but has also caused the depreciations which have taken place in land values throughout the civilised world. When we remember how carefully turnpikes are avoided we shall probably arrive at the conclusion that he is not far wrong. To remedy the evils complained of he invented his stage system. We have not space to describe it here, but briefly we may say that be proposes to abolish all mileage and differential rating, and to substitute a system of stages of varying lengths, these lengths to be determined by the density of population they pass through. This

would be accompanied by a great reduction in the charges Mr Vaile has been subjected to very severe criticism, but it is now generally admitted that his finance is sound, and that the most beneficial social results would follow the adoption of his system. A number of his fellow colonists, believing that his services deserved public recognition, subscribed for and presented to him the handsome service of plate of which we give an illustration. The presentation took place at the Chamber of Commerce, and was made by Sir George Grey, K.C.8., who, with the other speakers, referred in very eulogistic terms to the ability, energy, and self-sacrifice Mr Vaile had displayed. This should, and no doubt will, encourage Mr Vaile to continue his efforts.