THE RAILWAY TARIFF.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2591, 27 July 1882, Page 3

THE RAILWAY TARIFF.

PUBLIC MEETING AT ASHBUBrON. On Tuesday evening a publio meeting was held in the Ashburton Town Hall, to discuss what oteps should bs taken in order to induce tho Government to effect a reduction in the present railway tariff on the Canterbury lines. There was only a moderate attendance.

Mr W. C. Walker, irho occupied the ohair, I said he wag sorry to have to open the proceedings of the meeting to bo few, more especially as the <juestions unde? consideration were of demanded a larger attendance from the country residents. It was their business to see that the railways were managed to that all might reap the benefit which it was intended the lines should giva them, and the farmers should come forward and let the Government ■ae an expression of their views on the subjeet under diEsuaiion. The speaker also thought that duriag the late general eltction a proper oppression of opinion should have been got from the candidates as to their views on the railway tariff question. He would ca'.l upon M* John Gn'gg to propose the first motion.

I Mr John Grigg then eame forward and said that the motion he had to propoie was—- " That the present railway charges on sgricultural prod note were excessive, and a substantial reduction was neoepssry." The; speaker then went on to say that the present rates were fixed for revenue purpiees only j but thia was a wrong principle, as the Government should do all they could tor tho benefit of the country, and that the line* should be made to pay a fair interest on the oast of the construction and nothing mora. Although the Canterbury railways were paying 7J- per cent., the tariff charges had bßen raised to 21 per cent., snd something' shcetld be done to demand redress in this direction. He drew attention to the graLt charges from Obristohurch to Ashfaurtan, and stated that the agricultural industry had been unfairly treated com* pared to other industries, and that a special tax had been imposed on producers. The Canterbury representatives took o peculiar view of the matter, sad so long kb those views were held there was little hope of redress. At the next election care should ba taken to return members who would lock after the interests of the agriculturists, and not leave them, as at present, almost in the position of having no representatives at all. The Governmeut were at present levying black mail on the large producers of the community, but he did not think the Souse could continue this state of things long. If the Canterbury members would only- unite th?y cculd easily see that justice was done. Ali th?y wanted was that the railway tariff should bo fixed on some definite principle that would be fair to all classes of industries. He referred to the railways to be made through Maori land in the North Island, and held that it was unfair that the present rates on the Canterbury lines should be kept up in order to support ths construction of unprofitable lines in tho North Island. He had muoh pleasure in moving the resolution previously redd.

Mr 0. W. Purnell spoke in support of ths motion. Tho great difficulty was that the Government would continue to treat the railways in both islands as a whole, and the lines in the South Island had to support those in the North. He quoted from the Publio Works Statement, and prooeaded to say that the North Island railways would sot be likely to pay for another quarter of r century, and yet the Government had made up their minds to still go on in the same matmet as at present. The farmers deserved the encouragement of the Government, and ought not to be expected to continue to pay taxes to support unproductive lines. His opinion m that as soon as a railway in a particular dktriot paid interest on the cost of construction a proportionate reduction in the tariSF should be made. He advocated that the Government should abandon the idea-of ; a general uniform tariff and hoped that the agitation would be continued, and the- Canterbury members compelled to unite and do something in the matter of getting a reduction in the tariff. He would second Mr Grigg's motion.

The motion was then put and carried unanimously,

Mr F. O. Cox-said he held in his band both a motion and a petition. The !st;r had been drawn up for presentation to the Speaker and members of the Home of Hspresentatives. Mr Oox then read tbe petition, which troa from the ratepayers of the county of Ashburton, pointing out the urgent necessity for a substantial reduction in the railway charges on agricultural produop, and asking that the farmer might be placed on es favorable a footing as the representatives of other local industries. Tha petition also pointed out the high ■ percentage of profit earned by the carriage of agricultural produce, and stated that unless & substantial reduction in the tariff was brought about much land in remote districts would be allowed to remain uncultivated, .thereby entailing serious loss to the colony. Mr Cox went on to speak in favor of the prayer of the petition,"~"«nd — moved to the effect that it be adopted for presentation to Parliament, and that the chairman sign the same on behalf of the meeting. The motion was seconded by Mr Btitt, and carried. Mr T. Bullock moved—" That the member for Ashburton be requested to present the petition, and that the member for Wakanni be requested to support tbe same; also that a copy be sent to all the Canterbury members of Parliament." Mr Bullock raid that some two or three jeaia ago they Bgitated aud managed to bring about a slight reduction, and he trusted the farmers would now unite to get what was at present needed; Xhe motion was seoonded and carried. The Chairman said tbe next- business the mecticg had to consider was the proposed traffic bridge o?er tho Ashburton river. He read a letter that had been written by Mr B. Gr. Wright on the subject, and addressed to the Minister for Public Works.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr D. Williamhoc) rose to move—"Thiit the Government be requested to place a sufficient mm on the estimates for the com'motion of a traffic bridge over the Ashburton river in continuation of the Great South road." The speaker said he had brought the question before the public some years ago, when he saw the necessity for a separate bridge for traffic. At present there was a large amount of traffic over the bridge, and great delay and inconvenience was daily experienced by the aontinual stoppoge of vehicles at either end while the bridge was closed for a quarter of an hour at a time to allow of the passage of the different trains, and it was almost imposrible to drive a mob of eheop over the present structure without some of them being forced over the side and drowned, a oircumstacoe which frequently happened. Besides this, accidents to vehicles were continually happening, and if a separate bridge were not constructed, ho was afraid that some day an acoident of a very serious nature would occur, when the Government would probably take the matter up. It lay with the meeting to eupport Mr Wright in trying to get a separate traffic bridge oveft, the liver. The butter the means of access the better it would be for the town, and the projzress of the place would be greatly retarded if they did not move and get a separate bridge for trams over the river. Mr G. M. Babinjon seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. A vote of thanfcs to the chair terminated the business of the meeting.