THE RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 429, 11 February 1909, Page 9

THE RAILWAYS.

; : ;..;AN,ATJSTRALIAN; VIEW...; : ":::!;; '••■' Commenting'editorially .UrK>n:thd memorandum of■ Mr.; Rondyne, the ''Australasian" says, .ihter.alia:,. ■:,'; ■.:.;: ■:■ •(: [ -.:-.-. -;';;, v : ''The- Now.;; Zealand,.;;; railways,. unfdrtu-•'natbly'fot;'tKe;".Dominiori;'-'a're riot, under : ; in-' dependent .commissioners,: :as .areithose ' of. Viotoria'j;although an imita'tion'of ; the' s.yb.torn.':',was;:once tried. Down .to;tho' least de-. .tail of/administration they, are at thc.riiorcy of tho Minister, who is," in turn, often at the mercy."of his dotibtful supporters in' Parliament arid in the constituencies. These, sup-" porters, are continually seeking,,minor- np- • pointments: for their friends- (after:thd.'fnsn-, ion,of which':we havdbitter memory in; Vic.toria),. and'the result is -that the railways arid/.their ..workshops" are far.less efficiently' ;run .than they./would::hot under: non-politioal' .commissioners, or-nndor' company 'control.': ~'■:'';', 'V'/lii Mr. Seddon's 'days, it was notorious;that- high.departmental 'offlcdrs- had He treat-with great forbearance; undorlings: who hailed from/the West; Coast, .'and, in this': respect,,:the thoroughly political' publio service of.New Zealand .(railway, service-; in-; eluded); has not .greatly".improved l .under Sir'' Joseph Ward, who is strongly opposed „as ■ his predecessor, to. any.icurtaiimeilt; of Ministerial ;patrona<;6 in-small as-well as bigfappointihents. The "evils of -political manage-: ' ment..are Vnot'vresti'icted ;\to>;thevAddington . lyorkshops.' ,Thoy;;; afe' being illustrated'as :'sUrely,,if not quite -as. sensationally, in. the: working ;of ; the'. Manawatu,-,' line,' from 1 Wei-; ilington to, Palmorston.North'. '/Tim lino'was ;-formerly;.:th'6j'prbpbrty';-'6f:.-ft ; -'c6ni'pa]iy,-/'-nncl' has.-only . recently ■■ been»taken..over by the- ; State.■'■':• One 'rosnlt of tlid change. is a raising of rates. The- State /used to" have the company, competing with;its line over : the.Rimu- : takairiclino,;round. by tho'.-Wairarapa.to'thp/ ■Rangitikei district,; and (direct, rates over, tlid Manawatu::line- were .low.:s/Now thoy have gond; :up: with .the-. State:,, mdnoppiy, ■:■■ and .settlers; have /to pay. higher charges ■ because the;;Stato\.caniiot;wdrk..tlie l ,lino as cheaply.; -as.aMmpany.v/In dpiteof- such: charges: the. State .railways do ,not really.pay their' way. The,,-Government.;'.professes' •; to;-; bo'.content' witji,-a;. 3 - per 'cent.;, return '■ on. capital.'; This isnot only, insufficient-to meot;in full inter-' est on the'money invested, but it has only been obtained,by charging for years to :; cap-' itar..(mainly; : loan's) .ropairs.: and replacements ;that for qut of. revenue:'-Newi-.Zealahd's.;prosperity ;in-.. tha- immediate, ..past-;,has-prevented rigid; inquiry ihtoytho .burden which 'political, management,;, of-.'• the. railways'lays-'upon:.taxpayers 'und'Grittier v hilt, as;money \grows Scarcer hv the' Dornini6n','.ominous .grumbles are/beginning:' to bo "hoard."' ''; ;: :;:; : :.:^J ; : ; ; :;'-;: ■;'<•-.;.-'<.: