The Temuka Leader.

Temuka Leader, Issue 994, 22 August 1882, Page 1

The Temuka Leader.

a ERALDINE WINCHESTER, PLE^M

No. 994

Published Evkut Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

line a non-political have the power to refor the transmission fares, etc. These each line of railway could charge pay. This would would he far simper nations for the purpose and every one beneto pay his quota toof the railway in the use he made of it. the main trunk line beand Christchurch pays ■f ten per cent on the cost The Albury line pays Hxmt 12j; per cent, but the Bine does not pay at all. Bn line runs from Rakaia to Bnd was constructed by a Bmpany, and the working of V over to the Government, [meeting of directors showed n not pay working expenses, is some arrangement by which, p, the County Council will make good the deficiency, or *of that kind. We cannot

exact arrangements now. matter for the purposes of There are many railw^i do not pay, and the that though our main trunk Bs 10 per cent on the cost of conthe amount of that which ■s way into the Treasury is only because the balance is swal■up by the non-paying railways. should not be so. It is n-d company, who had built as a speculation, would them. They would everyone of them pay, and the way to do so is to charge prices, The swagger is benethe existence of the railway. had to go by Cobb and Co’s ■s he would have to pay doubl© Hount he pays by train, and be ten ■s long on the way, thus losing which is often money to him ; cheeper would hare to pay more haulage of his goods, the his produce and so on. Where ■> anything fairer or simpler then ■> charge these people for the adB; they receive. A railway is as ■a luxury as cea or tobacco, and u«e it ought to pay for it. way these suggestions could out is to give the managerailway to Boards of local Hiominated by the Government. are the property of the and consequently the ought to have the appoint■f their managers. We do not that they should be elected by at all. These local men local knowledge, they would to adjust the tariff in the man■>st advantageous to the district, would be an end to the bun-Hcast-iron rules which govern the B;of the railway officials under the Hig regime. If these suggestions Hidopled what would be the result ? Buld be that the lares could be reBon railways which are now paying Br cent, or else the Colonial revenue B be considerably increased by what ■allowed now by non-paying railI, We do not suppose the GovernB will adopt, our suggestions, but so we cannot see a fairer way of ng with the question. While we that land improved by railways it not to be specially taxed to pay lie railway, we do not want to say ; it ought not to pay for the benefits jceives. It ought, but the tax raised u it should go to relievo industries tn taxation. The railways in, all les should be solely and wholly self)portiiig, else they ought not to be istructcul.