Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1909. PROPOSED RAILWAY REFORM.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4450, 17 August 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1909. PROPOSED RAILWAY REFORM.

This above all—to thine own telfbe true y And ti mutt follow as the night the dag Thou cantt not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

Mr Samuel Vaile, of Auckland, continues to take a good deal of interest in public affairs, although he has retired from business on a wellearned competency. Most men at his age would consider that they were now quite entitled to rest, and to leave public affairs to others. Not so Mr Vaile. For 'many years he has made a very special and careful study of the Railway question. Eminent political economists, sociologists, statesman and socialists in all parts of the civilised .world have communicated with him on the subject, desirous of learning his systemIn Auckland a number of admirers of Mr Vaile’s honesty of purpose, disinterestedness, persistency, and personal sacrifices, presented him, a few years ago, with a silver tea service and a suitable testimonial. His work in the interests of the people of New Zealand has been valuable and most spirited. Mr Vaile has spent about £I4OO of his own hard-earned money on the railway question, and .derated many years to the study of it, and he long deserved well of his fellow colonists in this country. Patriots, like Mr Vaile, are best rewarded by a consciousness of duty well done mid by seeing their fellew-men reaping positive benefits from their efforts. The Vaile system has received favourable trials in some parts of Austria-Hungary and, although it has not been adopted ia New Zealand, some of the reforms in o&r, system are, it is thought, indirectly due to Mr Vaile's advocacy.

Several times /the question of gjying the Vaile System a trial in

New Zealand has been before Parlia- j and, we understand, another effort will be made on the reassembling of the House. On a previous occasion i some of Mr Vaile’s friends joined with him in offering to the Government a substantial monetary guarantee against loss if the country would give the system a fair trial. If such a guarantee could be again offered we think the Government might do well in agreeing to a trialIf the Vaile system were found to be a succes, it would prove a great boon to Te Aroha and the surrounding districts. It would place them in very much more favourable communication with Auckland. We are a hundred and fifteen miles from Auckland. It now costs a resident of Te Aroha £1 5s 7d firstclass and 16s second class for a re turn ticket for visiting Auckland. It stands to reason that if people could make that journey for a trifle of that expence they would go oftenerAnd, of course, Auckland residents would come much oftener to Te Aroha to the advantage of tradespeople. Cheap excursion fares prove that. Well, under the Vaile System, instead of paying the above rates, passengers would pay only 8s for first-class return and 5s 4d for second'dass, Our readers may form a good idea of the great savings by the Vaile Bystem if they glance at the following figures taken from Mr Vaile’s latest published tables Some Comparative Present and Proposed Fares.

If our back lands are to be opened up to advantage, and we are to enjoy the full advantage of cheap transit and ready markets, it can come about only by some improved methods, and Mr Samuel Vaile claims that he has solved the problem. Suppose we give his system a trial.

— JL Present Proposed Bares Fares V - 1st. 2nd. 1st 2nd. Auckland to Wei* 8. d. 8. d. s. d. s. d. lington Auckland to Roto391 21 2 13 0 8 8 rua Auckland to 17 6 10 4 o 0 3 4 Frankton Auckland to Puke10 6 6 5 3 0 2 0 kohe .. New Plymouth to 3 11 2 6 2 0 1 4 8tratford New Plymouth to 3 10 2 7 2 0 1 4 Wellington Napier to Danne29 9 12 0 13 0 10 0 virke .. Napier to Welling94 60 3 0 2 0 ton Wellington t o 20 9 12 0 8 0 5 4 Auckland Wellington to Pal39 1 21 2 13 0 8 8 merston North Wellington to 10 2 67 4 6 3 0 Rotorua 42 5 24 8 11 6 7 8