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Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1511, 19 March 1887, Page 4

We observe that Mr Samuel Vaile, the Auckland Railway Reformer, is again on the warpath, or, dropping the military simile, on the stump, having addressed a large meeting ot settlers m the Waikato district at Hamilton a few evenings ago. Referring to the objection made to his proposals that he was not prepared to deal with the goods traffic, he said that that was all a mistake, and that "he was quite prepared to show that the goods traffic could be lowered by one-half without loss to the Government. The present system stood condemned all over the world. He believed the towns suffered quite as much, if not more, than the country districts did from the unfair burdens placed upon country residents m respect to the railways. On the Hurunui Bluff line alone the settlers beyond ten miles from the towns contributed three-fourths of the revenue of that railway/ while m America great concessions were made for long distance traffic. As an instance of the wide difference between the American freight charges and those of New Zealand he instanced that on the American lines they charged 75 cents freight for a ton of butter 140 miles to New Yo»k, but carried the same ton from a distance of 1000 miles for less than half, or only 30 cents, giving the long distance settlers the advantage. There is, we think, ample room for reform m connection with our railway management, and even if he be not sound m all his schemes, Mr Vaile will do good if he succeed m arousing a general determiaation on the part of the public that very large reform must and shall be effected.