South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2553, 27 May 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1881.

It is perfectly certain that neither abuse nor argument will reform the Rail way Department. Of all branches of administration it is one which has given the greatest amount of dissatisfaction. People put up with it for years in the hope that matters would improve. The management of railways was out of the ordinary run of Government concerns, and very few of the higher class of officials had any experience. The lines have now been in operation for a number of years, and it would appear that little has been gained by experience. Thick skinned and stupid appear to be the leading characteristics of those who have the management of the greatest going concern of the State. We have no desire to see the Government lease the railways to a company, as thereby a monopoly with immense influence would he created. But really if things are allowed to go on there will be no help for it. In the present mode of conducting the lines, the convenience of an official is of more concern than the interests of customers, or rather those who employ the line. The order of master and servant appears to be reversed. One would naturally think that every facility should be afforded for the shipment of grain in Tlmaru. Without the development of the farming industry on the Canterbury Plains, the lines woald not pay working expenses. In other words it would not pay to run them at all. In such case, there would be no Railway Department, no Under-Secre-taries, no Traffic Managers, etc., to bully the public, and no little “ cheeky ” memos to any unfortunate the nature of whose business necessitated him to patronise the State railways. However, the trifling matter of the grain growing industry is overlooked. The millions of borrowed money devoted to the construction of the lines were expended with no other object than to afford billets, to hangers-on and needy friends of the Ministry of the day. If the convenience of the officials were put in one scale and the interests of • the farmers in the other, it would be an easy matter to tell which would have the most influence with the Railway Department. The remark is frequent and true, that New Zealand is ruled by the Civil Service. In no department of Government does that remark apply with so much force as to the management of the railways. We are led to the above observations

by what has been prominently brought under our notice during the past few days. Mr William Evans, the wellknown grain merchant, does a very extensive business, and that business is most closely connected with the leading industry of South Canterbury. Mr Evans has been laboring under a a grievance for the past three years, which annually takes £3OO out of his pocket without swelling the; railway returns a single halfpenny. And the worst of it is the sufferer sees little hope of redress. However, matters came to a head a few days ago. It may here be mentioned that Mr Evans simply desires to be placed in the same position as other grain merchants. For the past throe years he has been placed in such a disadvantageous position by the railway authorities that in the shipment of grain an extra cost of one shilling per ton had to be incurred by him. He simply desires that this disability should be removed, and he is perfectly willing to pay any railway charge, ifany, and to be allowed to use the siding from his grain stores. Mr Evans, we again repeat, claims nothing but what is fully enjoyed by others. It is not a question of rivalry amongst the grain buyers of Timarn. There is not the slightest reason for supposing that there is any underhand influence at work. In fact, the other grain merchants are always willing to lend Mr Evans their trucks. A considerable amount of correspondence has taken place on the subject, and it is curious to note how inconclusive and lame are the excuses of the railway authorities. When it is borne in mind that Mr Evans has suffered from the unfair dealing of the department for years, the last answer given by Mr Maxwell is perfectly childish. That powerful official says plainly that it would be no use granting facilities to Mr Evans now, as the department contemplate making arrangements by which the enjoyers ot present privileges will be deprived of their present advantages. This is a sorry consolation indeed for an injury of three years' standing. Whether the privilege be of long or short duration, Mr Evans wants to be placed in the same position as his fellow merchants. If there is any argument at all in Mr Maxwell’s memorandum, the Department must have been thinking over the matter for three years, or why was Mr Evans denied the facilities afforded to others. The railway authorities had better give him at once full use of the siding, and let him take his chance of an alteration being made within a month or at six years hence. Doubtless, if he could constantly get the ear of a real live Minister, the grievance would have been remedied long ago ; but Timaru is not often blessed with the presence of members of the Cabinet, and it is sickening work to bo compelled to argue with subordinates who are practically irresponsible. The railway authorities have given orders for the points on the siding to be removed—an arbitrary proceeding which will have the effect of detaining for some time two English grain ships which are now in the roadstead. Mr Turnbull, the member for Timaru, and Captain Sutter, the Mayor, have made strong representations to the Premier on the subject, and the last phase of the matter is that Mr Hall has promised to enquire into the subject. It is to be hoped that the upshot will be that Mr Evans will receive fair play, and that meddlesome officials will not in future have it in their power to interfere with such a large and important interest as the export of grain.