RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 8, 8 June 1885, Page 2

RAIL WAY MANAGEMENT.

Arthe meeting of the County Council on Wednesday fsays the North OtagD J'inum), attention was called to the fact that the excessively high charges for freight for short distances on the railways caused additional traffic to be thrown on the roads, I with the result that, so far as this district is concerned the County is put to an enormous expense m keeping the roads m repair. It was resolved that the Chairman write to the Member for the district calling his' Attention .to the tariff and requesting him to endeavour to obtain a modification of the same. We may state, /adds our contemporary) that the injustice of the tariff, feven m its revised state), has been frequently pointed out by us, but we were unaware that the obtuseness of those who framed it had the effect of saddling the distinct with so much expense. We understand the estimate of the County engineer' is that it will take close upon .X°looo to put the roads m the same state as they were a year ago, owing to the cutting up they have undergone by dray traffic. If the Railway De- ' partment had, without altering the tariff for distances over eight miles, begun a cheaper scale for distances under eight miles, it would have se- , cured all the traffic, Would have shown better returns, and would ! have saved the . expenditure of enormous sums by County Councils for repairs to roads. What. are railways for ? They are surely not constructed for the purpose of running empty trains on them, while farmers are compelled, through excessive charg-eF,-t^-~«>'V;ir-h-- *•« *k*» «' '!-•« o«-U.r,rl_r»£. getting their. produce to market. No matter how long delayed, a reduction will have to be made m the railway charges for distances under eight miles. .- .