THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONIRS. SIR ROBERT STOUT ON THE QUESTION.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 335, 19 January 1889, Page 6

THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONIRS. SIR ROBERT STOUT ON THE QUESTION.

, :> . DnxjaniM, ,]un. 16. >Sm K. Stout, in a letter to tho "Herald," says> : — X di-sagl-'ee ciit'uely i with your estimate of the thiej&Oojnpie^ioners appointed. Mr J. Molvcrr.qw; is^a. n}an of singular capacity and iiicfh^; oiiavactcr. 1 do not believe wo ' ciould have , imported aji abler railway ' official , than 'Mr' •Maxwell. He is al&9"a\man of great ability and-vm'doUbted hottest/. *MV Uahrniy is an excellent traffic nja'oageiu and also of high character and ot great- commercial knowlodge j .aiwl f *tsxity^B "$ l^ I '"^^ boa [ d were to 'lib appoint^, tnen Ido not see bhfit ! the colpn^y ,pajtj f ,take exceptiiqn,,^p>he Com- ! missidrioVs/" Bab T believe' blib appointment !of a commissipn ftfmanago our railways 'wdiil^V be- a reu'Ogv^&e 'Stop. ' It ip flnci-' " dbim)eratic and arttvpro'gi'^ssive. l'n fact', it is a declaration that democratic Qoli^bilAitioilS', cantWb > 'cdnbfol thoao ' oorhmercial enterprise&.-iin < which the set pf political thought is such that the State rnubb, ,r, r entei\-» M } ffehe.. Parliament ought , not to cinfcibl the' management of ' onr iail|\vay&, ought ib to control our education j system or the disposal of our land ? Is there a thing that can bo mentioned in which it could havo a voice ? This Railway Commission business is bad. Our Hailway Board should liavo i been a Board semi - elective, to' give tho peoplo moie .say in tho management ol our railways, and not lbss.'j I know the reply : "But what of Victoria?" Now, I assert that tho railways 'in ,Victoria are not m well managed as the/ railways in New Zealand. I have 'seen tho&o from a distance naming, without any cause, thio6 quarters ot an hour latb,-and'l was told that was nothing uniu-ual. I could s>co nothing in which the railway management in the sister colony, was', an improvement, and I believe 'jVJ r ' Booth^ • -a— gentleman from tho Wellington' district, who spent much time in' investigating tho qxiestion, came to the patne conclusion as. myself. Of course, the railways>"'in Victoria- pay better. Give the Now Zealand railways a like concentration and a suburban .tralfip liko Melbqurne, anc\ they Avijl^pay, p,Vsp ',; but onough. of ; l|iis. R.efQrrwgoveryblTii I ngt>d l ?rrcspqn i saWe i • boards, 'ought' to contenfcVhoso who wi&'h tho . Stale functions oxfeeritlad," tSub 'i'n the'colo1 nies the dorado 'co^toa fhoir inability to man ago ovon what is aheady bho (Slate's fuhotions.