TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3160, 15 August 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 1881.

Mr Charles Pharazyn lately addressed a long letter to the Wairarapa Standard in defence of the railway charges. As a member of the Civil Service Commission Mr Pbarazyn had ample opportunities of making himself thoroughly well acquainted with the eubject, and he accordingly speaks with the authority of knowledge T >ie two lines of argument that Mr Pharazyn combats are, first, that as it makes no difference in the cost of hauling a truck whether it contains one cIaRS of goods or another, the charge should he uniform per truck ; secondly, that looal managers should be allowed to fix the tariff in accordance will local conditions and that the " ridiculous system of uniform rates " should be aboiiehed. With regard to the first of these arguments, it certainly does seem sound enough at first sight, but a moment's reflection will show the impossibility of making our railways pay, if such a system were adopted. Take for instance, the case of a truck load each of the following articles from Peatherston to Wellington, 50 miles: Article Weight Charge £ s d 8 corde Firewood say B tons .. .. 114 i 8000ffc Sawn Timber 5 „ .. ..850 20 bales Wool „ 3J „ .. ..434 Total earnings of 8 loaded trucks or a ..928 trifle over three pounds per truck Now on the uniform charge per .truck theory it is evident that, in order to earn the same amount as at present for hauling these three trucks it would be necessary to keep to this charge of £3 per truck, The obvioua result of this would be that the firewood would no longer be sent at all, and the wool owner would simply be saved so much at the pnblic expense. The total earnings would thus be reduced to £6 as only two trucks would be sent, The fact is that the fixing a tariff which will pay is an extremely complex problem, and it can only be thoroughly well done as the result of experience. The general principle to be kept in mind is that some articles, such as wool, will be sent at any reasonable rate charged, so long as there is no competing road or water carriage, Other articles, such as wood, coal, &c, will only be sent" if the rates are so low as to leave a profit, and it is only bj careful adjustment of the tarift to these considerations, that the total earniDg ol the railways can be kept up sufficiently to enable us to carry on the traffic without having recource to special taxation to meet deficiencies in working expenses and interest. A constant watch is kept bj the Department over the effects of the tariff, and changes are being made as required. With respect to the statements about wagons doing the work cheaper than the railway over short distances, this is always admitted to be the case by all authorities, and it would be ridiculous to so alter the tariff as to attempt to compete, in any case, in distances of less than ten miles. With regard to the second branch of the subject re the " absurd system of uniform charges" over the colony. No doubt the uniform system i 3 bad in many respects, but it is impossible to see how Government railways could be managed on any other. If, for instance, a line is so managed as to be able to take the timber at 3d per 100 ft. less than at present, the complaints from other timber districts would be fearful, as the argument would be that they were driven out of the market by unfair competition frora that district and such* pressure would be put on Ministers that, either this must be stopped, or rates must be equally reduced on other lines whether they were made to pay or not. Again, on the level line from Oaraaru to Christchurch the actual cost of haulage would probably not exceed half the rate per mile of that over the heavy grades from Oamaru to Dunedin. It is hardly necessary to point out what indignation there would be in the latter place if this fact were reeognied as the law of rates changed, and the traffic were thus deviated to the port of Lyttleton. This is sufficient to show the impossibility of a system of local rates on Government lines. Mr Pharazyn concludes hie letter with these words:—"l have, I hope, said enough to make those who *bink, see how much is to be said on the other side against the superficial viewe which have lately been expressed. lam certain it is one of the cases where intimate knowledge of facts will show that it is easier to criticise than to improve. I write with some confidence on the subject, as I admit that before I had studied it, (he views which I now combat appeared to me fairly sound I now see that it was my own ignorance that led me to this conclusion. I therefore ask others to study, before they condemn. Many complaints of the tariff, &c, in detail, may doubtless be made, and if suggestions are made in a fair spirit, the uniform courtesy and consideration of the Department with respect to these may be relied upon. [ would, however, point out that it is hardly fair to any Department to make wholesale charges of mismanagement without suggesting a practical remedy. The effect of doing so can only make the officials disposed to treat popular claims with very little respect or attention."