The Railway Department.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2158, 3 December 1875, Page 3

The Railway Department.

(fBOM' OUa AUCKLAND COEBItSPONDENT.)

Thursday.

Whatever advantages the province will derive from the completion and extension of our railway in the future it nannot be doubted that the Auckland, Onphunga, and Mercer portions of the line have; hitherto been worked more in unison with the whims and crotchets of the department than for the collective good. \ Complaints as to mismanagement!! of the portions finished have been publicly made by Messrs Robert Graham, J. Wallace and several other influential southern settlers, and the evils which these gentlemen brought under public notifce. are only partially removed. Not know> ing a single officer on the lin® I cannot be charged with any motives in drawing your readers' attention to several matters which require looking into, and as an official in the Old Country for four years in one of the offices connected with railway works, I presume I can speak with a little authority in such matters. It was only a short; time ago that, notwithstanding all the imported engineering talent, the Government found it necessary to complete some siding surrounding the Penrose station, so as 10 lessen the curve. This,,of course, meant a good round sum for extras, and the wonder is that the necessity for the alteration was not discpvered when the line was being completed, without taxpayers being submitted to what some would call useless expenditure. But so it is, difficulties must arise, and means employed "to keep talent, at work. When one looks at the appropriations for department, it cannot be wondered that the public should complain* for it seems that those who have the least to do, are the best paid. It is useless to multiply instances, but I shall allude to one or two. The present traffic'e clerk, who has to be on duty from 7 in the morning to 7 in the evening, with, perhaps,! work to perform frequently on a Sunday, gets the handsome salary of £120 a year, whilst clerks employed at the head office from 10 to 4, with less work, and far less responsibility, receive much higher salaries. Such a state of things ought not to be approved, and must^ in a great measure, considerably lessen the interest which the officers will feel and take in the interests of the public service. I could instance other cases of a similar character, but will content myself with the one alluded to. With regard to the Auckland and Mercer line and its branch to Onehunga, it does not appear to be worked upon what one would call a commercial basis, and until the department allows a little elasticity in the fixing of the tariif, and more discretionary powers in the hands of the Auckland manager, I am very much afraid that the profits from the working towards paying interest and providing a sinking fund on the capital expended will not only be doubtful for some time to come, but absolutely infinitesimal. The manager is tied down with standard regulations, and I am informed that without the consent of Mr Passmore he can do nothing outside, the usual routine. During the short time the line was worked by the Messrs Brogden, the public convenience was studied, and where anything special required attention extra carriages were put on and the fares reduced. Even in Otago the other day when Mr Reid addressed his constituents, the local government put : 6n special trains which suited the convenience of DuEedin men, and enabled them to return to town the same night. It is well known.that Mr Robert Graham has for some time being engaged in laying out pleasure gardens at a heavy cost to provide public convenience and amusement for citizens, but, notwithstanding his representations as to a little concession in the way of some substantial reduction in thefares on special occasions the authorities have remained deaf to his appeals, and it is such heartless countenance £nd support at the* hands of the servants of the public which shows that local control and local "direction are,, the more certain to . prove suited Ho the public. Judging from a perusal of; the tariff I 'am of opinion that a reduction could, with advantage to the public interests; be sanctioned in Wh passengers and'goods traffic. Twenty per cent, I think, would not be tqo much for 'goods, &c, I and say one half-penny per mile for passengers. I am also of opinion that such reduction would tend to increase the gross receipts, as we have the authority of tlic late Sir Rowland Hill that the reduction in the postage stamps to one penny had the opposite effect to that which its opponents contemplated at .the time when its introduction was sanctioned.

The great power which is placed in the band of the Wellington authority and the little discretionary :power left in;the hands of Auckland station masters and clerks is a subject which must be pressed on the attention of the departmental minister, and unless some alterations are quickly made the Government will find itself compelled by parl ament to take a course whi'-h will more fully meet public requirements and add to public convenience. I have got some matters of public importance to allude to in connection with our Police Court, but as the details would take up too much space in the dispatch. I shall postpone it for the present.