The Fielding Star. "TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1888. Railway Reform

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 98, 20 March 1888, Page 2

The Fielding Star. "TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1888. Railway Reform

The most determined opponent of the system under which the New Zealand Bailways are now being worked is Mr Samuel Vaile, of Auckland. He is not only dissatisfied with arrangements as they have been in the past, but is doubtful of their future under Commissioners. In a letter on this subject, in which he has favored us with an advance proof, he condemns the haste with which the Railways Act was rushed through Parliament last session, he being informed the time occupied in its debate was only teu hours. He does not believe the Act will remove our railways from political influence, and condemns any statement to that effect as unmitigated bunkum. He considers that under the Board political influence will in all probability assume a far more corrupt form than at present; indeed, he admits that he never heard of undue political influence being used in the appointment of railway officials. Certain districts have been favored in rating, but that will be done with tenfold ease under the Board, and it will be extremely difficult for us to find it out. He considers that as the Government retains the ' right to initiate the construction of all new lines, the scramble fur political railways will continue as before. Mr Vaile proves — to his own satisfaction — that the Victorian railway system, which this colony is about to adopt in part, is a failure. The following return of killed and wounded by the Victorian system is interesting :— Killed by the Commissioners during iour years . . . . . . 134 Killed by the Government during twenty-five years . . . . 277 Wounded by the Commissioners during four years . . . . 755 Wounded by the Government during twenty- five years . . . . 740 This is startling, and it is monstrous under such circumstances to talk about improvement in management. After exposing many abuses in the freight charges which exist under the English system of which that of Victoria is an attempted copy, Mr Vaile quotes from the report of the British Royal Commission on Trade Depress sion which brought up two reports, one by the majority, and the other by the minority. Both reports state that scarcely any cause of depression has been so persistently put forward as the difficulties connected with the transport of goods. The chief complaint was —

" That the railway companies regulate their charges so as to favor oue district, or place, or trade at the expense of another, and the importer of foreign goods at the expense of the home producer."

With this evidence before us it seems absurd to have it copied in this colony. In order to remeiy the supposed defects of the Act passed last session, Mr Vaile suggests it should be suspended until next meeting of Parliament to afford the peoples' representatives another opportunity of con-

sidering the effects that are likely to follow its introduction. In conclusion Mr Vaile urges the equal distribution of population on the land in order to equalise the distribution of wealth. He considers the first step in that direction is the equalisation of the cost of transit which can only be done by abolishing the mileage, and substituting a stage system with uniform charges irrespective of distance.

Mr Vaile is an enthusiast, and thoroughly means every word he says, but like all others similarly affected, he does not give due weight to the surroundings. He can only Bee one object, which is the adoption of his system — and that alone. While we are inclined to agree with him on many points, we do not think either the British, Victorian, or New Zealand systems are such utter failures as he would make us believe they are. That they are liable to abuse, and are being abused every day, few know better than ourselves. It is not the systems which are to blame, but those persons to whom the duty of carrying them out has been intrusted. The Act referred to so often was passed in response to the cry of the people, who were sick and tired of the autocratic mode which has obtained bo long. We hope the new mode will receive a fair trial before either being condemned or approved. It does not follow that what has not succeeded in Victoria will be necessarily a failure in New Zealand.