OUR RAILWAYS. A LESSON FROM INDIA.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1883, 9 May 1878, Page 4

OUR RAILWAYS. A LESSON FROM INDIA.

Nolion Colonist. In e»titnatinjj tlic probable success of the New Zealand mil way scheme, it is well to look at whnt has been tlie result of a similar undertaking elsewhere. In linliu large sums bavc been cxpendid by private companies, the interest bcint; guaranteed bv the Government, and it was often predicted that the burden would increase with the extension of the work", mil in the rtid lend to financial ruin. The Y-tltie of the lirirn to producers nnd traders wan never denied, nor the immense addition to the disposable stien<;th of the country should war break on*, and it is admitted that the recent famine would have been Car more disastrous had this mode of transporting food for the sufferers not existed. Still, it wm averted that the revenue must sooner or Inter be uncqunl to the charges thus p'accd upon it, and if the event hud proved this to lie true, the the benefits would have been too denrlv purchn«ed. Happily for India, the objectors have now received a conclusive answer in the statement made to thoLi'<.'i<Utive Council bv Sir J<ihn Strachey, who •howed that "the actual results from such works dm ing the la*t six years are highly satisfactory. The net interest paid oil guaranteed railway capital was one million md tin ce quarter*! in 1871, md for the present M-ar it will be nothing." From thin rapid and most rcnnrkahle improvement, i imoiir,i!»( ment in iv be drawn, sufficient to dispel most, if not all, the doubts j of our faint-hearted politicians, who are unable to discriminate between n\l>fs incurred for permanent reproductive work*, •ml those resulting from wnr. In tlie one cnH^, a larger contributing population are im'uced to occupy the land, pnnidinix both trnflic for the iail«n\B anl ns-Nfance in. dvfraunir the general cliaryc? of administration ; while in the other, not only is the money sunk bev<>nd thn povil,ilit\ of recovery, and without increasing the power of any citm to bear the burden of interest, but the workiny strength of tho Country is feii«'U*lv lessened by the destruction of thousands of the most energe'ie nnd useful, and bv the muimiug of still more, public charity is loaded to excess When designed with nasomiblo ■I.ill and forethought, every new line is a •o!i 1 addition to the national wealth ; and there is no trround for dreading that, ere long, our railways will not merely pay, but (torn their surplus income aid in providing the requisite extensions.