THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 97, 30 July 1880, Page 2

THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.

(From the N. Z, Times, of Tuesday ) , The report of the Eoyal Commisßion on Railways was presented to his. Excellency oil Saturday last, and laid op the table of the House yesterday, '.''; ' ... The CommissioneWj Messrs J. Jtf'Cosh Clark, Oswald Curtis, Edward PearCe, jno. Eeid, and Edward Q-. Wright, nftor narrating their nedessary preliminary arrangements to fulfil iiiHtrtictidns, make meutiofr that in some, indeed in many instances, the opinions and recimmendatiofls which they submit are at variance with the tenor of the evidence taken in the districts interested in proposals for the construction of railways. They observe, "It is perhaps scarcelynecessary to point out that settlers i in "all" puffs of the colony take an especial and not unnatural pride in their own particular district, and in" the' progress it has made, and that they are prone to attach' a greater value to-ita*existiflg resources, and to take a more sanguine view of its future than can "09 acquiesced in by a dispassionate and unprejudiced observer." At the outset of their investigations the Commissioners were met by " the fact . that the already ' constructed railways of New Zealund do not, as a whole, yield a return sufficient to ' pay -one-half of the interest upon their cost, and they found it necessary before taking upon themselves the responsibility of .recommending the extension of existing or the construction of new lines, . to endeavour to learn the causes to which this unsatisfactory Btate of things is attributable, and the extent, if any, to which these causes may bo removed or their operation modified. They show that one leading cause is sufficiently apparent, and can only be remedied by time, and the gradual progress of settlement which the resources of the colony will undoubtedly secure, namely, the making^of railways in tome parts of the colony far in advance of existing settlement, and conse qtiently of ;m amount of traffic adequate to their support. Tbe Commissioners remark on thiß point as follows : — "The extent to which this fatal mistake lias been made may be in some degree realised by a comparison of the relations between railways and population in this and other countries. In Great lirit.in the amount of population to each mile of railway is 1961; in the United States, 580 ; in New South Walea, 1108 ; in Victoria, 924; while in New Zealand we have only a population of 362 to each mile of railway already made. ' It should, however, be boine in mind in the consideration of these figures that our exports per head of the population are much larger than those of the neighboring colonies, tiud that the country traversed by the railways of New Zealand is generally of a more fertile character than that served by the lines of Victoria and New South Wales, and is therefore calculated to provide a greater amount of traffic per mile of railway, although more thinly peopled."

la search of other and more immediately removable causes of the unprofitable results hitherto obtained the Commissioners availed themselves 'of their authority to take evidence upou the actual working and cost of lines of railway already constructed. The r«sults of such enquiry as detailed by the Commissioners may be thus summarised : — Expenditure can be diminished at unremunerative stations, train mileage redaeed, and the number of trains lessened in the dull saason of the year. The system of a uniform freight tariff, applicable to every parD of the colony without regard to to business done, cost of Bervice, or competition to be overcome is condemned, and it is shown by a comparison of the railway tariff of the colony with those of other Australian colonies that while the haulage of wool and agricultural produce on Australian railways is somewhat lower than in New Zealand, the average Australian rate for minerals— a term which includes coal, building-stone, bones, bricks, clay, lime, and road-metal — ia higher than the M ew Zealand rate in varying degrees ranging to 80 per ceuc. On timber traffic it is shown that uudei the existing tariff for any distance exceeding seventy- five miles it is carried at. an absolute loss, and if at the same time the haulago is over heavy grades the cost to the colony amounts to 50s. for every 20s. received to the credit of the Railway accouut. The Commissioners further express opiuiou that >c even the unsatisfactory contribution which the railways in operation are shown by the public accounts to make towards the interest upon the cost of the construction is not wholly substantial, and that no inconsiderable portion of that contribution should in prudence be placed to the credit of a depreciation fund." They further express opinion that the evils of unprofitable work on the railways are to a great extent the result of political pressure both v"on rhe Miuister and upon the Commissioners of Railways for the North and Middle Island, and they suggest that the constructed railways of New Zealand I should not continue to be, as at present, under thn manuge ment of Commissioners, subject to the control of a Minister ; but, iv place of that system, a Board of Manage- ; meat should be constituted, consisting chiefly of men of business knowledge and [ habits, free from political influence, and having as nearly .as. maysbe the same status, holding the same powers, and exercising the same functions, as the Board of 1 -Directors of an-En^lish- railway company. The Commissioners then proceed to give in detail their opinion and recommendation upon each line of partly constructed and proposed railway in the colony. These details are too voluminous to publish in ex> tenso, but we give those referring to existing or prpposed links of communication with the Wellington railway : — Mokotoko to Wqodville. — We are of opinioti'that this section should stand over for the present, and -that ail funds which m»y become available for the Wellington and Napier line should be devoted to the completion of the Wellington and Woodvillu portion, with a view to open communication between Wellington and the West Coast, as well as subsequently between Wellington and Napier. We are confirmed in tlu4 recommendation by the fact that the Jand, between Woodyille and Makotoko is for the most part riitive property. „ Fealherston ro Maaterton.~The contracts upon this section are approaching completion. It opens Ajp a district supporting a i largo population irho have been, long settled, and it will be the means of increasing the tariff upon the portion of the line which is now open. . ; Masterton to Opaki and MauricevilJe.— This is a farther section of the main line which wo consider it desirable to proceed with without delay. ■ It will make available a large extent of: bush ■ laqd suitable for small-farm settlement, and it also taps a considerable block of good Crown land, a great part of which : . s of limestone formation. ' • • •

Mauriceville to Woodville. —We are of opinion that this section of the main trunk line should be one of the first to be proceeded with when further funds are 'available. It intersects a large block of 'good Crown land, and will add materially to the traffic on the line now in operation. « Woodvil'e to Bunnythorpe.— This line, proposed, to be carried through the Manawatu Gorge on the north bank of ike river, will form the connecting link between Wangauui and Wellington, and Napier and Wanganui. Tbo cost of cooatruotioa will}

i , be heavy, the estimate of the ' engineer^' bf ing £139,000; and we recommes4 that it bdfot proceeded with until oontmtiniqation Tjjßtween Wellington and Woodville has bean first established". * VTeUington-to JTo|tyon. — This line ■ WflfaM. be in direct' competition with that, wbidik we recommend should be constructed by Way of the Manawattf Gorge. But, apart from that faot, we consider that the pro poaal is pretnotutv, on the ground that a laiye part of the country it would open op lis stil) in the hands of-naSte^ owners ; and' - inexpedient, on the ground that the value of the land which the line would serve has been greatly overrated, and that the undertaking would be an unprofitable one, which the colony would not be justified in entering upon. We advise that the expenditi}r i e.nQW - . going on at" the Wellington enct of tna line be at once stopped, and the labor employed thereon transferred to the Masterton and Mauriceville section. - Greatford-to --BoHp.— Thfcr iar.a" ifforf branch of four miles in length. ■ It would be expensive to work, and it appears to us that, the diitrict.i», al ready fairly t -B«p|>Hßtl with Railway communication; '■ * ' : - * Bulls to Sandon. — Sandon is within eight or nine miles of G-reatford station on the one side, and it is about the aame distance from Feilding station on the other. The proposal is one which we cannot recommend. Petone to Waiwotu. — This small branch, of about two miles in length, appears to be design ad- to meet a traffic to the Hutfc racer course, wnicharises for a few days only in each year, and we cannot advise that it should be constructed. Waverley to Kai-iwi. — This is an important portion of' the main liae, of which a large part is already completed. We think the remainder, which is" now in progress, should be finished and opened for traffic <as soon as practicable. The land it passes thiough is good, and there is already a lurare amount, of settlement. ■ For greater convenience of reference the Commissioners classify their recommendations under four distinct heads, thus : — RECOMMENDED TO BE PKOCBBDED WITH AT ONCE. Kawakawa to deep water Whiiugarei-KatDO to Limeburneip Creek Auckland to Riverhead Auckland Station Iteelamation Hamilton to Cambridge, including four miles towards Te Aroha • ' . Kopua to Makatoko Stratford to Hawera Waverley to Kai-iwi . ... Featherston to Masterton - Masterton to Mauriceville Opawa to Blenheim Foxhill to Bellgrove Nelson Creek* to Brunnerton ' - Amberley to Hurunui Lincoln to Lake Forsyth Tinxvttld to Mount Somers Albury to Fairlie Creek Ferrymead to Sutnner Oxford to Sheffield' Sheffield to H-iwkins Duntroon Station to Duntroon Village Windsor towards Livingstone, ten miles Palmerston to Waibemo Wuipahi to Kelao Kelso towards Switzers, four miles Edendale towards Toitois Riverton to Orepuki Otautau towards Nightcaps, four miles. BBCOMMENDBD TO BE PKOOEEDBD WITH WHEN FCKTHEB FUNDS ABE AVAILABLE. Pukekohe to Waiuku Hawera to Wiiverley Mauriceville to Woodville Woodville to Buonythorpo ■ Blenheim to Awatere Waimate Branch Extension Duntroon to Hakateramea EECOMMEXDED TO BE POSTPONED. Kawakawa to Hokianga Whangarei-Kamo, Limeburuers Creek to deep water .- ; • ■ Hamilton to Te Aroha Gnihamstown to Te Aroha v Te Awamutu to New Plymouth Tanranga to t'te Lukes Makatoko to Woodville Napier to Taupo Normauby to Opunake Belgrove to Roundel I Roundell to Nelson Creek Nelson to Motueka <Treymouth to Hokitika Ljke Foray th to Little River Fairlie Creek to Burku's Puss Coalgate to Raknia Gorge Southbridgc toßakaia and Watertoa Orari to Knkahu From four miles beyond Kelso to Switzers Balclu.tha;to Catlin's River • : Luiosden to Mararoa NOT KECOMMEKDED Helensville to Knukapakapa and Whangarei Taupo to Murimotu Napier to Wallingfotd Napier to Gisborne Wellington to fc'oxton, - Greatford to Bulls Bulls to Sandoa " . " Petdne'to Waiwetu Awatere to Huruuni Blenheim to Roundell Westport to Inangahua Hokitika to East Coast * Brunnerton to Oxford Greymouth to Amberley^ . '"- • . Little River to Akaroa ' , Sheffield to Waianiwaniwa Cave to St. Andrews * ' "" ' Coalgate to Temuka (Canterbury interior) Otago Central' ; Lawrence to Tapanui Kelso to Waikaka Lawrence to Roxburgh, ' - Wakatipu to Lake M'Kerrow Green Island to Kaitangata Kingston to Cromwell .- • „ Outrara 1 ttf CTaretrfon ■' ' **»r.'?*. 1 Invercargill to Seaward Bush Mararoa to Otautau Winton to Nightcaps „ ••