The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1889. THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1840, 15 January 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1889. THE RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS.

Captain Maeetat, in the Pacha of Many Tales, stated that the creed of bis military conscience was: Ist, that His Majesty (God bless him) will go straight to Heaven ; 2nd, that His Majesty’s Ministers will all go to the Devil. By this he wished to convey that he was thoroughly loyal to his King, but had the greatest contempt for his Ministers. All that we can say is that with regard to Her Majesty’s Ministers in New Zealand we share Captain Marryat’s feelings. They grow more odious and contemptible daily, and if ever Ministers deserved to go to some bad place they certainly do. The latent instance of their extraordinary incapacity, if not worse, is the appointment of the Railway Commissioners. That question has been under discussion for over twelve months, and the climax to the lengthened consideration now is sufficient to take one’s breath away. Mr James McKerrow, SurveyorGeneral of the Colony, has been appointed Chief Commissioner, and Mr Maxwell, General Manager of Railways, and Mr Hannay, Assistant General Manager, Assistant Commissioners. No one could feel surprised at the appointment of Messrs Maxwell and Hannay, as it was generally expected that they would be made Commissioners, but the appointment of Mr McKerrow is bewildering. One cannot but repeat what George TIT, said about the apple dumpling, : and ask how the deuce he got there. No one expected it—not, we are informed, even Mr McKerrow himself. Tet there he is, brought in from his chains and pegs and theodolite, and placed at the head of the railway management, an absolute monarch of the most extensive < and important branch of the public service. We hare nothing to say against Mr McKerrow—in fact, we have never heard a breath to his disadvantage, and so far as we know he has been not only a capable, but a model SurveyorGeneral. He not only did his duty in a manner that never provoked adverse criticism, but also produced reports which were in many respects more useful than the Crown Lands Guide. In these reports he often showed, without going to the extent of abusing his position, that he had a warm corner in'his breast for settling people on the land in the best and most approved way, and that his sympathies were in favor of small holdings. We have, therefore, nothing to say against Mr McKerrow, excepting that ft is a shame and a disgrace to place him—a tyro in railway management —over the heads of men like Messrs Maxwell auCL I have grown grey in the service. From the beginning we expected that an expert would be placed in the chief position, and it is certainly disappointing now to find the position filled by a novice who has everything to learn. We are informed that the Government did their best to get an expert from either England or America, but could not get one, even though they offered a salary of £3OOO a year. Do they think us all « softies ” ? Do they really expect as to believe that they could not get a first-class man for £3OOO a year? Shade of Baron Munchausen! Hast thou come to inspire our Ministers ? We honestly believe they never intended nor tried to get an expert; hut we should not quarrel with them for ft had they plated a man who knew something of railway management at the head of the Cimmissioners.

The greatest favlt we have to find with the Oommifflon is that Messrs Maxwell and Hmnay are made to play second fiddle to a tyro; but we have no doubt it has been done in deference to th» popular clamor, which insists on Ihe incompetency of present managemmt. The public have «ot it into their heads that Messrs Maxwell snd Hamay are incompetent managers. Ministers have been weak enough to yield tc this prejudice, and hence the reason loth gentlemen have been placed in «n inferior position. With this view ol the case we have never agreed, "here is, of course, mismanagements regards our railways; they are a huge, extensive enterprise, covering, so to speak, the whole of the colony, and it would be nothing less thin miiaculous if they were conducted in that precise, careful way which would leave no room for for complaint. The mismanagement is no more than vhat cainot be avoided. It is nonsense lo talk about running them cheaper in order to make them pay better. Those wb talk in that way know nothing abort what they are saying. The reason oir railways do not pay is that they lave outgrown our population. Any ran worth his salt in this colony a bw years ago connived at getting a ’ailway to his own hall door, and the Bsult was the making of miles upon mles of railways that never ought to hav been made. These political railways re now white elephants, swallowing u] all the profits the legitimate railwfrs make, and those who swindled the ountry out of 1 the cost of constructig them are loudest in their denuncisions of railway management becausi the railways do not pay. We firmlyand honestly believe that our railwaysire managed as wellas possible, and tha their failure is due to the fact that thy are too extensive for the populationiGrive Messrs Maxwell and Hannay fiv millions of,

people instead of half a million, and they will run them at half the present rates. It is useless to hope that the present change will make much difference, Nothing which does not make political railways pay for themselves can alter matters, and it is not likely that the Commissioners will undertake the making of such a change. With regard to Mr McKerrow, he is certainly a clever man, and ought in the course of time acquire a good knowledge of his duties; but he is too old to learn. His mind has been through life directed into one groove; he is not like a man of the world who has had to acquire a knowledge of a variety of things, and if he adapts himself easily to his altered circumstances it will be very much to his credit. From the change, therefore, we do not expect the slightest good, and we feel certain that in a few years the railways will be placed under the direct control of a responsible Minister again.