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Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4, 9 July 1891, Page 2

Yesterday Mr Jackson Palmer moved the introduction of a Government Bailway's Act Eepeal Bill. The object of the Bill, it is understood, is to abolish the Eailway Commission. The necessity for such a measure is not apparent. The persons most interested; the travelling public and the mercantile community, have not asked for this change, therefore it is safe to assume the Commissioners have done their duty to the best of their ability, with the means at their disposal. At a period when it was necessary, owing to complications with the railway employees, for them to exercise the qualities of firmness and discretion, the Commissioners were quite equal to the occasion, and the admirable tact then exhibited by them is bearing good results to this day. Eyerybody knows that the Commissioners W9re appointed to remove that portion of the public service as far as possible from the sphere of political influence, and no doubt because in every case where Ministers have attempted to coerce them, owing to political pressure brought to bear on Ministers, the Commissioners have opposed a sturdy resistance. They had the judgment to discriminate whether a proposal made for the individual benefit of a locality was for the general good and welfare, or was merely a " try on" to requite political service, and in all cases exercised their authority and refused to yield. No doubt this is the reason of the Repeal Bill which, although not properly speaking a Government measure, was not likely to be presented by Mr Jackson Palmer, a warm supporter, unless approved of by the Honorable the Minister for Public Works, Mr Seddon, who has had his palms itching ever since he took office, to destroy the present system which is so admirably conducted. Of course we are perfectly aware that there are isolated cases where real or imaginary causes of complaint exist, for such must arise under any management, but where there is now one complaint against the Commissioners, there would be ten thousand if the railway service were allo wed to revert back to Ministerial incapacity. We ask our readers to remember the old style and compare it with the present, and few of them will desire to go back to the old order of things.