RAILWAY REFORM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1314, 13 August 1886, Page 2

RAILWAY REFORM.

MR YAILE’S SCHEME.

Wellington, -August 12. The Select Committee appointed to re. port upon Mr Vailo'a scheme of railway - management brought up the following report t -day :—\'our Committee hare taken a great deal of evidence regarding the practicability and the probable financial result of Mr Vaile’a scheme, ts applied to passenger traffic, and the balance of evidence given by experts mm unfavorable to it, white the evidence given in its favor seemed to depei d largely npon speculative estimates of the probable Increase of traffic in certain proportions over the various dia*maces and the different classes. On the other hand, however, the returns famished to the Committee by the Ball way Department, and Included in the evidence, giving detailed particulars of the passenger traffic and revenue derived from it from station to station for the various distances,to some extent supported Mr Yaile’a contentious. Mr Yaile stated that having no departmental returns npon which to base his calculation, he was enable to estimate even approximately the effect of his system as applied to goods traffic.' The evidence regarding the applicability of the system to the carriage of goods, from which i «irce more than two thirds of oar railway revenue is derived, was unfortunately of the most meagre description, all of the witnesses called by Mr Valle s ating that they had not aonaidered that part of the q; cation, and declining to express any decided or definite opinion regarding it. The Committee finds—1. That It may be Inferred from the ! numerous petitions on the snbj r ct referred to this Committee, that a great deal of discontent and deaire for change exists in the colony in regard to the preaent system of railway management. These petitions also favor the adoption of Mr Yslle’s system. 2. That although the system now In force iu New Z aland ia similar to that in the United Kingdom and its dependencies, and is well administered, it ia nevertheless not satisfactory t s a system. 3. That there is generally a belief Ihsl the present acale of charges in higher than is desirable in the best interests of the colony, -and that a considerably reduced scale, especially as regards the carriage of goods for long distances, and as regards New Zealand products, would largely promote settlement and production. For these reasons, while admitting that the evidence adduced in favor of Uir I Vaile’a system has not been sufficient to prove that it would be a financial success, I or to warrant its application to the ral'ways of the colony as a whole, the Committee, bearing in mind the great importance of the subject, is of opinion a trial should be given to the syaiejp on an isolated section of on.* railways. It would, however, be unfair that one part of the colony should enjoy the advantage of cheap transit, thereby enhancing the value of property therein at the expense of the general colonial revenue, therefore the following proviso is necessary, and the Committee recommends the -Government by legislation to give the kt|l bodies the power of carrying it Into effact where they eo desire :—Provided that the various local bodies in the district served by the section of railway to which this scheme is to be applied shell have struck a rate sufficient, in the opinion of the Governor, to recoup any loss to the revenue which It may entail, such loss, if any, to be calculated on the basis of the revenue of that section for the past finan, cial yeap with the average Increase or decrease of general revenue of the New Zee? land railways either added or deducted.