KAILWAY REFORMrtp,. Mil Si'-VAILE'S VROPOoAL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 294, 29 August 1888, Page 6

KAILWAY REFORMrtp,. Mil Si'-VAILE'S VROPOoAL.

A mi:i,jixg of tn"e Chamber of Commerce was held 3 esterday afternoon' tor the purpose of considering the proposal made by Mr S. Vjiile and others to the Government, that the.\ should lease to him the Northern railways in ordei that he might try the sjatem which he has so Jong advocated. Fifteen members in attendance. Mr John Milne pi esuled. Mr Vailc e.\p amed that eaily in tno ccasion ho -vmocu to the Go\ernment on the 15th ot May calling their attent on to what had been going on at the Wliangarei line, and also 1 eterring to the offer made by him last session. As his letter was not even acknowledged, he \\ rote in August to the Minister ot Puolic Woik 5 offering to lease a portion of the railways tor a term ot A\ c years. He also telegraphed to Mr Miich.cls.on stating that an increased re\ enuc would be guaranteed the Government, while the rates would be 1 educed by 10 per cent. He received a reply to the ertect that the proposal wa» made too late in the session for the Government to take any action. He then telegraphed suggesting that the Government might get an Enablement Act passed so that the matter might be dealt with in recess. Mr Vailc explained that his supporters were prepared to gi\ c a guarantee ot £20,000 to the Government to give up possession at six months' notice after the first 12 months. They would see from that that he had no fear ot the result of the experiment. The question of maintenance was mentioned, but that could have been personally secured by regular inspection. He would be no party to anj lengthened lease of the raih\ajs of the colony to any syndicate or companj. Mr Vaile quoted at some length from the reports of the Committee of the House that had debated the matter tor ten weeks. He contended that ft om fare^. alone his sjstem would result in a net increase ot £200,000 per annum The Chairman said that they were much obliged to Mr Vaile for so clearly putting the matter before the Chamber. In order to open the question he h<id dratted the following resolutions :— *' (1) That in the opinion of this Chamber the system of administering the railways of the colony is most unsatisfactory both as re gards facilities afiorded to the public and financial results. (2) That this Chamber having been informed ot the offer made to the Government by Mr Vaile for working the Auckland sec ion of railwaj s considers the same a pi actical one, and recommends that facilities should be provided before Parliament rises lor recess to give eilect to the same." He thoughtthat after the report ot the Committee, and .vlr Vaile's own offer, he was entitled to have the experiment of his system tried on some portion ot the railways. It it was a failure the country would not lose if it was a success, then the country would gain, and Parliament might then be called upon to extend the system throughout the colony. Their rulers seemed to object to doing anything on ciieap lines. That was evidenced in their postal rates and their tariff Mr A. H. Nathan seconded the first portion of the resolution. He thoughtthatanybody would hail with delight any improvement, upon me existing system, which had been proved to be thoroughly unsatisfactory. The present Government seemed to think that the way to make the railways pay was to retrench the salaries of the officials, but that would never do it. In their own businesses they knew that letrenching salaries would not make their businesses pay. The railways had not been a success so tar in the object for which they were started— namely, the settlement of the land. The lact was that settlers could not utilise the railways on account of the excessive charges m-ide. It was hard that they should not only be made to pay dearly when travelling upon the railways, but also be taxed to make up the deficit. He had much pleasure in supporting both clauses of the resolution. Mr Lodder thought that it would be advisable to get the experiment tried in order to settle the matter once and tor all. For his part, he was in favour of selling the whole ot the rail ways for the purpose of paying off the national debt. Mr Esam said that farmers were pretty unanimous in the VVaikato that Mr Vaile's system should receive a trial. His own experience of the tariff was singular. Grain from

the Bluff was landed in their store for 3^d per bushel. From To Awamutu, which was only 100 miles, it cost 4d 3-sth por bushel. Potatoes from Oamara cost 14s 6d per ton, and from To Awamutu Jss 4d. Mr McLean wirod from Lichflold for one lon of mauuro to finish a job. Upon searching the tariiY, ho found that two tons of manure could be sent fora less sum than one ton. If JMr Yaile's system was tried, they could not be worse, but they might be better. The Chairman called upon Captain Steeio to address them. That gentleman was received with applause. He said that when Mr Yailo came to the Waikato he was laughed at, and by nobody more so than himself. But now they had come to see that there was something in ii, after all. The Waikato people had formed a Railway h cform League, and the whole matter had been exhaustively gone into. The result was that a petition signed by 100 Road Boards. County Councils, and Chambers of Commerce had boon prcscntod to the House in favour ot some alteration being made in the management ot the railw ays. In Waikato about seven in ten persons believed in Mr Vaile's system ot management. For his part be bad done his best to settle the Wnikato, but people said there was no inducement to settle, as the rates were too high on the railway. They leccivcd j ear by jear statements from the Minister of Public Works telling them how well they wore scr\ ed and how haupy they ought to be, but still they wore not quite satisfied, but a long way irom it. Ho might siiy that for the last few years things had been getting bad in Waiicato, and nothing would alter it except cheap transit for the produce. It was the most preposterous thing that with a fine country and climate they could not get the people to settle merely on account of the heavy transit charges. Mr Maxwell would hear nothing but thai he was perfect himself, and lie tc«,rod there would be no improvement under his management. Mr Hudson was all right it lie ■would be allowed to do as he wished. There was no need to send to Europo for experts. Had Mr Vaile come trom America with a high-sounding name his scheme would have been adopted, but as hf> was a resident of Auckland the oihcials would not believe m him. tie thought that Auckland people ought to give Mr Vaile credit for the pluck and perseverance which lie had shown in the matter. Mr Vaile said that his figures had been certified to as correct by Captain Ualdy. Railway men, unconnected with the Department, agreed w ith his project, but said that the profit would be halt a million. Mr William Conyers. formerly Commissioner m the South, Mr Slodclail, another experienced railway man, Mr W. R. Moody, and Mr T. T. Edwards— all had ccrtilied thiir. the addition to the revenue from fares alone could not be less than £200.000 per annum if his system were adopted. The tiuth was that the Government dared not try his system, for it they did it would leveal the maladministration of the past. The motion was then put and adopted unanimously. It was also resolved to wire the resolution to the Minister of Works and also to Mr Peacock, M.H.R. for Ponsonby.