THE RAILWAY COMMISSION REPORT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2296, 27 July 1880, Page 2

THE RAILWAY COMMISSION REPORT.

[By TKr.Koiupu.] AVkluxgtoy, July 20. Alter some introductory remarks, the Commissioners say.—Wo could not hope in the limited time which we con sidered ourselves at liberty to devote to die purpose, to follow the entire route, and still less the various competing routes, of every projected line of railway in both islands, of which llying surveys had been made ; but we hoped to gain, and wo venture to believe that we have gained, by our personal observation sullicient knowledge of the general character of the various districts of the colony through which it is proposed to construct railways, to enable us not only more clearly to understand and more thoroughly appreciate the weight of evidence of the settlers in localities interested, and (he information contained in their evidence and the reports of the colonial engineers and other odieers, than we otherwise could have done, but also to justify us in forming, in the majority of cases, an independent opinion based upon that observation. At the outset of our investigations we were met by the fact that the already constructed railways of New Zealand do not, as a whole, yield returns sulii cicnt to pay half the interest upon their cost, and we felt it necessary before we could take upon ourselves the responsibility of recommending an extension of existing, or the construction of new lines, that we should endeavor (o learn the causes to which this unsatisfactory state of things was attributable, and the extent to which the causes may be prevented or the operations modified. One leading cause was sulliciently apparent, and can only be remedied by time and the gradual progress of settlement, which the resources of the colony will undoubtedly secure. Vve refer to the making of railways in some parts of the colony far in advance of existing settlement, and consequently of an amount of trallic adequate to llioir support. In Great Britain the population to each mile of railway is IUGI, in the United States it is SOO, New South Wales, 1108. Victoria, 112-1, while in New Zealand we have only a population of .’1(12 to each mile of railway already made. It should, however, be borne in mind, in consideration of these tignres, that our exports per head of the population are much larger than those of the neighboringcolonies, and 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 Xew South Wales, and is therefore calculated to provide a greater amount of trallie per mile of railway, altough more thinly peopled. From the evidence taken, and by our personal observation and experience upon almost every mile of railway now open for trallie iir tlie colon')', we are led to the conclusion that the present expenditure may be largely diminished by converting many small and unremuncrative stations to llag stations, by greatly reducing the train mileage on many lines, and smaller branches especially, and by making tlic rales of wages more in accordance with those paid by private employers of labour iu the colony. All the heavy and almost all the paying trallie of the branch lines in purely agricultural and pastoral districts is confined to the grain and wool seasons, which are almost concurrent, and during what .may be termed the dull season, comprising about six mouths in each year, trains running during throe or four days in eaeli week would in our opinion meet the requirements of the trallie. Our recommendation in reference to train mileage in short amounts to (his: that the running of trains should everywhere be reduced to a, number that will actually pa;/. We have thus pointed out in brief terms the leading reforms by which, in our opinion, the current expenditure of outworking railways can be safely reduced, apart from the question of reduction in the number a.id pay of oflicers employed in the service. The receipts of revenue upon the working railways are an element in the question of profit and loss. On comparing the railway tariff of Now Zealand with those of the other Australian colonics, wc Jind that while the average of rates charged upon the Australian railways fur haulage of wool and agricultural produce is somewhat lower than the rales on these commodities current in Xew Zealand, on the oilier hand the average Australian rate for minerals (a term which serves to include coal, building stones, bones, bricks, clay, lime and road metal) is higher than the Xew Zealand rate to the following extent: First 10 miles, SO per cent, higher; from 10 to 50 miles, 0 per cent. ; from 50 to 100 miles, -17 per cent. ; from 100 to 150 miles, 80 per cent. ; or taking coal itself the lir.-t 10 miles, It! per cent, higher: from 1(1 to 50 miles, 11 : [ per cent.; Jrom 50 to 100 miles, 55 per cent.; from 100 to 150, 08 per cent. With respect (o timber, the evidence we have taken leads irresistibly- to the conclusion that whenever that product is earned under the existing tariff fora, distance exceeding 7-3 miles it is so carried at au absolute loss, and when at

the same time the haulage is over heavy grades the cost to the colony amounts to 50s for every 20s received to the credit of the railway account. Having thus drawn attention to some of the main features of the tariff now in force on our railways, wo refrain from going into further details, but desire to express our firm conviction that maintenance of uniform scales of charges applicable to every railway'’ in every part of (die colony, without regard to the amount of business to ho done, cost of service performed,or amount and nature of the competition to be overcome is absolutely incompatible with favourable traffic. We urge, therefore, most strongly the system of uniform tariffs should be abolished, and the railways conducted upon commercial principles tiiat is to say, by charging for each rate proportionate to the cost of that particular service upon that particular lino, varied from time to time as competition shall increase or diminish. We arc of opinion that the constructed railways of Acw Zealand should not continue to ho as at present under the management of commissioners, subject to the control of the Public Works Minister, and we recommend that in place of that system a Hoard be appointed, consisting of men of knowledge and business habits, free from political influence, and having as nearly as may be the sami status and holding the same powers and exercising the same functions as a Hoard of Directors of (he English railway' companies.

The following recommendations refer to this district:—

Albury- Fairlie Creek. —This is also in course of construction. The section already opened is one of the most profitable in the colony, and the extension will pass through an agricultural district which will rapidly become settled. The Crown land served comprises 54,000 acres agricultural and 1,000,000 open pastoral land, in addition to 210,000 acres freehold agricultural and 100,000 acres freehold pastoral land.

Fairlie Crock —Burke’s Bass. —The extension to Fairlie Creek will sulliciontly serve the agricultural country to the entrance of the Bass. The further extension will bo of little value unless continued through the Bass into the Mackenzie country. At present the progress of settlement in that district does not justify the expenditure.

Waimatc Branch Extension to Waihoa A r alley.—This could be worked at a very small increase on the cost of the present service, and the quality and quantity- of land served, with the advanced stage of settlement in the district, induce us to recommend its construction as soon as possible. A survey lias been already made at the cost, of the residents, and a site promised free of charge.

Cave to St. Andrews. —This district is already provided for by the main lino and the Albury branch. Coalgalc to Temuka. —This is generally known as the Canterbury interior main line. Its construction would entail heavy expenditure in bridging the Selywn, Rakaia, and four branches of the Ashburton, Hinds, Rangitata.Orari, and minor streams. The trallie in our opinion, would not be ample in proportion lo the cost of the work and the districts through which it would pass are already lo a great extent served by the existing branch lines. The further development of these districts would be more economically and cllieiontly promoted by the formation of other branch lines, and the extension of existing ones, as the expenditure bccmnes warranted by the progress of settlement in the back country.