The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1884.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3982, 26 April 1884, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 1884.

Britishers throughout tho world have two veiy strong characteristics, a love of grumbling and a desiro to placo on other shoulders the burden of extricating them from a difficulty. It will not be misunderstood by our readers when we say that wo arc in favor of our railways being managed by a non-political board, so that favoritism and patronage may bo abolished, while at tho same time wo thoroughly recognise the difficulties which any such board as we have suggested would have to encounter. It is all very Avell for Mr Montgomery or any other politician to assert that these railways under such a board would at once become remunerative, and that at least they would pay the amount of the interest involved in their construction. As colonists wo are slow to recognise that our railways have far outstripped both our necessities and our resources. Our position differs greatly from that of any one of the Australian colonies, y Each of those colonies boasts of a back country—an interior—and but few harbors, while we with railways, which at tho end of 1882 exceeded in mileage those of any Australian colony, havo hut little interior, and that but sparsely populated, whilo we have many harbors. Our mileage open for traffic at the date named considerably exceeded that of New South Wales and Victoria —not combined, but separately, and I, practically tho compact little colony of Vie- ' toria has only two shipping ports, Geolong and Melbourne, while Now Zealand settlors have a choice of many ports. If we must givo utterance to tho truth, tho growth railways in Ncav Zealand has far exceeded the neceseity for them, "and the result of thus increasing our railways beyond our population has been to make them unromuncrativc. We all know that the bulk of our population reside close to the coast, while in tho other colonies such is not the caso. A stranger looking at the map of/ New Zealand would say that the railways should be made from east to west instead of north and south as they are, so that communication with ports might bo given, Now, if we have made errors in constructing many of our railways for political objects, and have mado railways where they were not required, we must " pay tho piper" for our folly. Wo say at once without a moment's hesitation, if wo have constructed lines which do not pay now, and which thero is no probability will pay for many years, it would be adyisablo to at onco lift thoso railways, utilise tho materials the best way we can, and resolve that the first loss, even if a heavy ono, is hotter than having our resources continually drained to support such abortions, which ought never to have had an existence. If a nonpolitical board should be appointed to manage our lines, we certainly think such a juestion should bo submitted to it Io deal cvith. Wo all know that there is more than jnc railway in the colony which, following ,ho course wo havo suggested, would be nore profitable to the colony generally to bo iftod, no matter how distasteful it might >c to those interested, than for us to run hat railway at an absolute lobs. Tho econt hicreaso in raihvay fares and rates ins given much dissatisfaction in many [uarters, and when Parliament meets thero rill be moro heard of tho matter. We havo frave doubts as to the policy of raising

rates becauso of the failure of tho lines to return their interest cost. We are not at all sure but that the recouping of that interest could be better accomplished by a -y thorough searching: into tho expenditure being incurred on tho lines. We have beon of opinion for a long time past that the railway accounts of all tho colonies are less or more cooked, and while wo hold that opinion wo havo no desire to sco sot down to extensions or any of tho convenient headings under which tho colonies choose to group what means their capital account, any item which of right belongs to maintenance, Aye still hold the opinion that great savings could and should be effected m tho working expenses of tho lines, Avhich are now at all events far beyond what they should be, oven if we shut our eyes to thenearnings. We have no desire to sec a cheese-paring policy adopted in tho Railway Department, still Aye _ think there is much room for a now broom in considerably reducing tho expenditure. Our railway fares arc higher than elsewhere, and it is a dcbatcablo point whether or not by increasing those faros we will at all increaso tho earnings of tho railways. There is ,-t point beyond AThich we cannot go, and wo submit in New Zealand that point, as regards passenger railway fares, has been already reached, and wo have little doubt but that a great reduction in fares would tend to a considerable increase in traffic and larger receipts. When wo compare our carrying rates Avith the other colonies, ono is at once struck with their disproportion, and those who talk of competing with the iron horse with drays havo this much in their favor, our lowest rates of carriage aro moro than double those ruling in the Australian colonies, which, beforo wo have done, tAvo purposo showing in black and wliite. started with comparing New Zealand and Victoria, and having so commenced Aye may continue tho examination of the two tariffs. The Victorian tariff is extremely simple; its ordinary rates aro scvenpence, sixpence, fiveponco, and fourponce per ton por mile, Avith certain minimum charges, that for goods unpaid being 3s, no matter how small the parcel or how short the distance, but against that a parcel weighing not moro than seven pounds can bo sent fifty miles for sixpence by passenger trains, and soon up to 112 pound's weight, and thoir special rates. Now what do wo find in Class A. of New Zealand goods, Avhich iv both colonies consist of imported articles such as tea and drapery ? In Ncav Zealand to send such goods fifty miles costs 31s Gd per ton, one hundred miles -19s -Jd, Avhile tho samo goods in Victoria Avould cost 29s 2d and 58s -id. That is to say, while tho Victorian lines charge less for fifty miles than we do, their charge for ono hundred miles is 15 por cent greater than ours. We do not knoAv why it should bo, except that it is the rule in all the colonies, that sugar and tea, imported articles, should cost more to send by rail than that which Avegrow, such as wheat. What wo have shoAvn abovo in reference to Class A y. applies to all other classes as regards tho long distances in New Zealand being lower than in Victoria, Avhilo the short distances arc higher, so wo need not Avork out the result, as any reader can do it for himself on the data avc havo givon. Wo glance next at Class K. Avhich consists of timber of various kinds, and what do avo find P In Now Zealand, to scud 180(1 feet of sawn timber fifty miles costs 395, to scud the Bamo quantity one hundred miles costs 07s, while in Victoria the cost Avould be 25s and 47s Gd respectively. Heavy bulk goods, such as Avheat, timber, firewood, &c, in Victoria, after seventy-five miles, arc subject to a deduction from the rates of 20 per cent. over the distance named, on the portion only that exceeds the distance. A six ton truck of firowood Class L, in Victoria would bo for fifty miles 255, whilo in New Zealand the truck—avc presume of live tons •—costs 34s 4d. And so all through the tariff, Avith which it need not bo wondered that there is much dissatisfaction. Six tons of firewood, bricks, or saAvn timber in Victoria aro carried twenty miles for 12s Gd, Avhilo in Now Zealand the lowest charge for any ono of the the items wo havo named is 17s Bd. Grain in Victoria is carried for distances at a penny a ton per mile, whilo for extra k>ug distances theratcs are cvonlower, aud theso rates, whilo considerably below ours, are not satisfactory to the Victorians, becauso elsewhere such goods in the States aro carried afc less than ono-third tho Victorian rates. It Avill bo seen from what avc havo Avriltcn that the Raihvay Department is badly in want of an able man at its head, and tho colony could avoll afford to pay such a man a handsome Balary. The problem is a difficult ono, how to make our railways financial successes, and at the samo timo not press too heavily on tho consumer and producer, but difficult or not wo must faco that problem at no distant date.