The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5487, 28 October 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1878.

Mb. Macandre w’s devotion to theinterests of Otago, and of soma other portionsof the colony, in the matter of expenditure of nloney, is unquestionable. If ho is not always able to discriminate between tho local and the general interest, or to fix tho point where the one may begin to be detrimental to the other, his incapacity is duo to tho imperfect sympathy of an ultra provincialist ; his aim in expenditure is high and always beneficent. He does not iovo New Zealand less, he only loves Otago more. In this great cause he has faced the obloquy of the Tapanul job, and having Invented tho mode of constructing railways without the authority of Parliament, on the deferred payment system, he now proposes to get the necessary rolling slock on hire, so as to secure the complete independence of the Public Works Department in the South. One -of the great advantages which followthe abolition of departmental centralism is seen in tho protection now afforded to temporary Ministers from tho impertinent interference of permanent officers like the late Enginoer-iu-Ghlef (Mr Carrothers), or the present General Manager of Telegraphs (Dr. Demon), men who absurdly think it to be their duty to state facts, and point to the inferences from these facts, without considering whether that is the kind ■ of advice which it would be convenient or agreeable to a Minister to receive. Having discovered a “party” who for a consideration would construct railways on tick, it only remained to find a “ party ” who would furnish rolling stock without asking for money; with the aid of Mr. Conyers apparently, the Minister for Public Works discovered Mr. Davidson. Impertinent curiosity in tho House of Representatives grows apparently with what it feeds on. There are men who are always “wanting to know, you know,” and one of them, who wouldn't “wait for tho waggon,” insisted upon seeing the papers. They have been produced, and they show that in May last Mr. James Davidson, foreseeing tho difficulty which the Government must encounter in providing for tho increased traffic to be expected, “ in con- “ sequence of the'opening of the main 1 ‘ fcmnk line between the Dluff and Am“berley, as also the increased traffic from “ the many branch lines projected and in “ course of construction,” offered to form a company for the purpose of building “high-sided,low-sided,and platform wag- “ gonsand timber tracks.” These waggons are intended to be leased to coal and mineral companies, grain merchants, and others, at a “small charge ” on their cost, the standard of which would be the cost of the Government ones “ of latest design “now employed upon tho railways.” In consideration of the advantages thus proposed to be conferred on the public .Mr, Davidson abstains from asking for direct payment in money ; he desires only a “rebate” of one farthing per ton per mile on the railway charge, whatever that might be, for goods carried in the waggons. The average carrying capacity of each waggon being, wo think, six tons, tho “ rebate ” would be throe halfpence per ton per mile for each waggon. Tho proposal being referred to tho Commissioner of Railways for the Middle Island, Mr. Conyers reported favorably : “It “ would save the Government consider- “ able outlay in the purchase of waggons. “ The rebate proposed by Mr. Davidson, “ viz., one farthing per ton, seems to mo “ a favorable one.” In June the.Under-Seoretary for Public Works wrote to Mr. Davidson “that “ tho Minister having inquired into the “ advantages which would accrue alike to “ tho public and tho Government by tho “ formation of such a company as you “ suggest, and having satisfied himself “ thereon, is disposed to view your sug- “ gestion favorably.” At this stage tho negotiation was quite etherial in character; it was a “suggestion” only, and had not yet the concrete form of a job. In July, however, Mr. Davidson returned to tho charge with tho following letter : Dunedin, July 17, 1878. Sir, —In reference to former correspondence rc the establishment of a Hallway Waggon Company, I now bog to state the concessions asked for by said companyfrom tho Government, which, simply stated, ai That the Government shall allow tho nso on their railways of goods waggons built by the company, and leased to mineral companies or others. . These waggons to be exactly similar in pattern to those belonging to tho Government, and to bo subject to tho approval of the Government engineers, also subject to * n ?imt Government should allow the rebate of one farthing per ton per mile on the rates charged for tho different classes of goods carried in Government waggons. The Government at present allow a rebate on goods carried in tho trades belonging to tho Kaltangata Railway ami Coal Company, and this arrangement. in an extended form, is what the proposed Waggon Company would desire. Tho general objects of this company are shown m tho draft prospectus which I hayc tho honor to enTho rebate could bo credited to the Waggon Company or to those leasing their waggons, as the Government might decide. . Trusting that afavorablo reply may he given to mo, I have, &c., James Davidson, lion. J. Macamlrcw, Minister for Public Works. Wellington. Tho prospectus put the capital of tho New Zealand Railway Waggon Company (limited) at £100,000; tho objects arc stated to bo “Tho building of railway “ rolling stock, and tho selling or leasing “ of the same to the Government, district “ railways, mineral companies, sawwillers, “ grain merchants, and others who mayre- “ quire railway carriages, waggons, timber “ waggons, timber trucks, horse-boxes, “goods or brake vans.” Tho proposed sito of tho works is “ tho freehold land “ and buildings of tho Otago Ironworks, “ Dunodin, where there is. an acre of " freehold land adjoining tho railway “ reserve at Castle-street with tho right “ to use a aiding from sarao.” Tho papers appear then to; have hoon referred to tho General Manager at Pun. ediu, who gives a hesitating approval to the proposal. Mr. Grant things that

the waggons should hot-bo leased for a longer period than Jivo ; .years, and that they-shonld bo maintained and, kept in order at the expense of the company. He ‘further; says '“With reference to tlio “ rebate asked for by the company I am “ of the opinion that the farthing per “ ton per mile is. rather, high, and think “ that 0110 penny per truck per mile “would bo sufficient, with a maximum “ charge for any distance not to exceed “six shillings per truck.” . The . following is the final official reply to Mr. Davidson : Public Works Office, Wellington, September 2, IS7B. Sir,—l am directed by the lion. Minister for Public Works to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 17th July, in which you state the concessions required from the Gdvernmcnt for the proposed Railway Waggon Comply, and in reply to Inform you that the Minister concurs in the concessions suggested, subject to the following modifications, viz.: 1. That the period for leasing the waggons to the Government should be limited to live years, and that in the lease a purchasing clause he inserted, so that in the event of the Government being unwilling to renew the lease, it may have the option of purchasing the waggons at a valuation, • 2. The waggons to bo maintained and kept* in good repair by the Government at the expense of the company or by the company, at the company’s option. 3. Thu, expense of oiling and examining the waggons to bi borne by the Government, 4. That instead of a rebate of one farthing per ton per mile, it be fixed at one penny per loaded truck per mile. Trusting that these 'modifications will meet the views of the company,—l have, &c., John Knowles, XJudcr-Sccrctary for Public Works. J. Davidson, Esq , Dunedin. It is said that the promoters maymake a good thing out of the concession, and that, moreover, the dividend oh the capital of the company is estimated to be about fifteen per cent. .It may possibly bo worth the while of the present Government whilst money can be borrowed for public works at five ■ per cent., and they can themselves make their own rolling stock, to enter into such an arrangement with a private company as will enable the company to pay an annual dividend of fifteen per cent. ; but at least it may be said that such an arrangement as will involve a loss of revenue and an increase of coat ought to have the consent of Parliament, It ought nob to be. made secretly whilst the Parliament is in session, and be left to be (< dragged out” as the Press Agency tale has been. If the Parliament could be induced to consent to such a pieceof administrative waste it seems not unreasonable to expect that manufacturers in Dunedin, in Christchurch, in Wellington, and in Auckland, should have had the opportunity afforded to them of competing for the privilege of supplying rolling stock for the railways of the Colony. The moans and appliances for such a work are to be found in every one of these places, as well as in Dunedin. Putting aside the irregularity and impolicy of the proceeding, there is a general unfairness in giving a monopoly of good things to any locality or to any individual; The peculiar .policy of the present Government may oblige them to resort to the method of constructing railways on the deferred payment system, and of hiring rolling stock for the lines, in order that their operations may be released from Parliamentary control; but if the representatives of the people are content to allow those things to be; done, such small protection as competition'gives might at least be afforded to the people who have to bear the heavy burden of taxation which gross jobbery and extravagance of this kind necessarily entail.