The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1984, OUR NEW RAILWAY TARIFF.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1153, 18 March 1884, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 1984, OUR NEW RAILWAY TARIFF.

When Mr Mitchelson was suddenly brought out of absolute obscurity, and pitchforked into the position of Minister of Public Works, the Auckland Herald recommended him as a man who bad received a special training for the billet, he having once been a “ carpenter’s apprentice.” He never developed into a full-grown carpenter, he was only an apprentice—a fact which good colonists must deplore, for had he served his full time and obtained his indentures we feel confident he would not make such a mess of things as he is doing at present. It is a great pity he did not finish his time as a carpenter, as it would have infused into him that spirit of independence and self-reliance which the consciousness of being a finished tradesman imparts. It may not be too late yet. If he were to turn to and finish his time in the Addington Workshops we feel confident it would be the best thing that conld happen to the Railway Department and the Government, for if he continues in his present position he will make a mess of one and destroy the other. The position of the present Government was becoming “ shaky” enough, but the recent railway changes made by this mushroom-grown politician has brought matters to pretty near the climax. The Government are now playing the last act of their drama, and a scene or two more will bring it to a close without the actors receiving a call before the curtain. Nothing could be worse than their recent effort to make up the deficiency in the revenue by raising the railway freights just at the very moment when harvest operations were in fall swing. The harvest prospects were poor enough before. The yield of grain is average, the weather is fair, but the prices are so low that the farmer’s profits will not be large ; yet in the face of this the freight has been raised to a degree that will make a considerable difference in the price of grain. And what is worse even than this is that the announcement was not made until several merchants had purchased grain in distant parts of the country, calculating of course on the basis that freights would remain as they were, and giving prices accordingly. Any of them who have bought largely will sustain a serious loss which might have been saved to them bad the Minister of Public Works only announced in due time that the change would take place.

Bat he did not ; he kept as silent as the tomb until the harvest was well under weigh, and then, as if in a burr}' to catch the grain traffic, ho rushed at it the very moment that he was most likely to throw everybody connected with grain into a state of confusion, Now, we believe in making the railways pay for themselves, they ought to do it, and it certainly speaks very little for their management that they do not, but we do not believe in experimentalising with them and in changing the rate ol freights eyery six months. The basis on which they are managed is entirely wrong. There are two classes of railway lines in this colony, viz,, political railways, and absolutely necessary railways. For the most part the latter class have been paying, while the others are swallowing up every penny of the necessary railway’s earnings. Yet the Government charge the same rate on the paying as on the losing lines. Now we hold that this is not right. The proper thing to do is to raaka every line pay its own working expenses, and leave a margin to repair its rolling stock. This is the least it ought to do. In fact, if justice were done it ought to pay interest on the cost of construction as well. For instance, according to a return laid upon the table of the House of Represnetatives last session, the TemnkaWaikari section yielded a revenue of £29,298 to the colony in the year 1882-3 over and above paying its working expenses and interest on its cost of construction at the rate of 5 per cent ; while the Duntroon branch, near Oamaru—a few miles only—did not pay working expenses by £2795. We ask now, is it fair or right to raise the freight on this line of railway which is not only paying handsome interest on the capital invested in its construction, but is also earning sufficient to pay off the debt incurred in its construction altogether in a few years ? Is it right that we in this district should pay the same freight as the squatters through whose laud the Duntroon railway runs, and for whose benefit it was made ? We say it is not, and that it is nothing more nor less than the placing of a very objectionable tax upon us to pay for supplying other districts with luxuries which they ought not to have when they are not fit to support them—that is railways. The proper way is to raise the freight on the Duntroon and other non-paying railways, and make them pay their working expenses at least. This, however, can never be done by this Ministry. If they attempted any such thing they would bring their politicalrailway friends on top of them, and they would find themselves in very hot water. The best way to] do this would be to place each branch of railway under the control of a local Board, either elected by the ratepayers in the district through which it runs or nominated by the Governor, and tell each Board that unless they make their branch pay it will be shut up. If this were done local men whose interest it would be to work it economically would be free from political influence, find cut their cloth according to their measure. They could raise or lower the charges as they found it necessary, and the State would be relieved of finding money to pay for the losses sustained by political railways. From the return above referred to we learn that there was in the year 1882-3 a dead loss of £208,522 on the railways of the colony, so that instead of paying for themselves they have to be assisted out of the general taxation. This cannot go on, and we submit the proper way to put an end to it is to make each line pay for itself.