The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1907. WATCHING THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 2, 27 September 1907, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1907. WATCHING THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

It is our intention to devote a good deal of attention during the next few months to a close scrutiny of the administrative efforts of various public departments. We do not desire to adopt .the role of carping critic, but -Tather that of a friendly investigator desirous of directing attention to such weaknesses as may be found to exist, with the object of serving the public in- ■ teivist by securing their remedy. On another page of this issue will be found the first of a series of articles on the administration of our railways. If a railway system be extensive, it necessarily has an important effect on the com merce of the country it serves. Tho management may adoj,it a policy of dealing with tl'te traffic that will stimulate production and trade, or its methods may impede, .• and even actually throttle,' enterprise. This is more particularly the case where there is an absence of competition, and a State monopoly exists as it does with us. Our order of reference does not warrant an excursion 'into the wide field of company management of competing lines of railway but confines us to that of the railways of this Dordinion.

The policy our Government claims to have adopted in respect sf the railways is that, " with ■ die object of developing the •jountiy," they shall be required to contribute "a comparatively small return on the money invested "; in order that they may afford the greatest possible benefit to those using them, and, indirectly, to those who do not usethorn. Exception may be taken to this policy on some grounds, but it is of a character that commends itself to users of the railways, and we do not propose to treat it as other than .satisfactory. We must point but, however, that it is not observed, by reason, apparently, that the administration does not attentively study economic conditions, and, through lack of knowledge of them, imposes charges that retard development, and are also in excess of those which adherence to the policy calls for. The administration, we expect to be able .to show, can present; some good features; but in many respects it is not. up-to-date, and not in sympathy with the needs of themercantile community to the extent that it ought to be. Sometimes, when new business is offered, it. will parry applications that may be made, and "sidetrack ". ihem if it can, but; if supported by data that it cannot reject off-hand, it will promise to investigate and consider, and then forget the promise. And yetjrtie Bight Hon. the Minister, in his place in Parliament, tells the people that the " railway administration is based upon what must, on impartial examination, be recognised as business lines."

Itseems safe to assert that the administration has never been known to search for business. For example, who has ever heard of the management intimating to a landowner that, if he laid off a town site on his property, arrangements would be made for fares and trail? services to and from the nearest city that would ensure settlement of the area; or who, possessing, say, a deposit of clay on his land, lias been told that, if he converted it into bricks, the Department would carry his coal and manufactures at such rates as would encourage liim to embark' in the venture? Overtures of that character would be_ regarded by a company as being on "business lines," and would be made accordingly. There is, indeed, a wide gulf separating the ''business lines" of the railway administration from those followed by mercantile organisations. Fair criticism of any department of a public service is a legitimate and'useful proceeding, and is often productive of much good. Our review of the administration of the railways is not being undertaken by way of an attack on the Government, nor on its officers, but merely for the purpose of indicating directions' in which changes might be effected with direct relief to the entire tax-paying public, and with au infusion of life into that important principle of the Government's railway policy de■scribed as " the development of the country." The fact that the articles are written by an expert in railway administration, and that they probe deeply and dispassionately, such weaknesses as his investigations disclose; should win for them that careful consideration warranted by the importance of the issues involved.