THE RAILWAYS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1769, 27 December 1917, Page 2

THE RAILWAYS.

THE operation of the new scale of railway rates calls fora few words of caustic comment (says the Dunedin Star). _ One would like to know the principle which governs the administration of the railways during this war period. It cannot be to make the railways “pay,” because some of the most profitable business is being cut off and a direct ineenlivc offered to merchants to use shipping and other moans of transportation fpm whieh the State will got no ref urn. If revenue were the desideratum, the well-patronised evening suburban trains would not have been discontinued. It cannot be to serve fhe public, because the people were never so much incommoded. If cannot bo to promote war economy, because the pressure ofthe increased charges is driving men to oilier forms of conveyance, without any compensating diminution in fhe provision for railway conveyance. We stress this last point for the reason that it has been overlooked by most of the critics of the Government’s folly. The logical conclusion of the policy of the Minisler of Railways is an engine running to tinfe-lable, drawing an empty carriage and an empty truck, while motor cars and motor waggons are being imported with feverish baste to cope with the increased demand for I heir use. Is it the. Minister’s wish, in times of scarcity of labour and-of material, that (here shall be a greatly augmented consumption of petrol without an answering reduction in the consumption of coal? During the coming holidays mol or cars will be as cheap, or cheaper, for parties of pleasure-seekers than the train. In days of stress like those the aim should be to concentrate transportation upon one means, and not to disperse it among several. The railroads are laid, the trains will run, and the Government's policy should l)(\ to make it. unprofitable to use any other form of conveyance between town and (own. We do not suggest that the rates should be lowered until competition is- destroyed. But we do contend that; the rates should be reasonable, and that heavy taxation should lie imposed on the importation of automobiles and their accessories. The National Government refuses to impose n war tax on automobile traffic, but impose it on railway traffic, thus tending to diminish the latter and augment the former. This involves loss of revenue to the Stale, and a wasteful duplication of transportation service which disregards the National Economy made paramount by the exigencies of war. _