The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1881.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 826, 22 July 1881, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1881.

A few days ago ; the ■ Legislative Council discussed the very important question of railway tariffs in this colony, The Lords were agreed that the present rates, more especially.for passengers, ■ were excessive, but apparently they could not conie to any satisfactory conclusion as to-whether there should be an all-round reduction or a differential scale suited for -the varying circumstances' connected with the traffic on the lines in the North and Middle Islands, 11 was admitted that our railways have improved under Mr Oliver's care, but it was felt-that there was still room left for milking 'them more efficient and remunerative, lit yas pointed out that in many'instances they , could not-compete -\yi(b outside"competition. In Canterbury, farmers in many instances', .beat'vthem with horses and drays. Water carriage was also a formidable rival, and at Christchurch. for one short length, the, tramway absolutely monopolised .the traffic—carrying passengers- for 3d against the railway charge of'9d. If our railways were managed -by private companies the uniform . scale, which now! bars so much traffic would be swept away in a moment.' "Why cannot the Minister for. Public Works act as a private company! would dp.'j The answer is that if he were to reduce the fares on "one line a pressure would be brought to' bear on him to reduce them on other lines, and he would be forced to make the reduction extend to every line in the -colony. Even a railway . .Minister is not a man of iron, and he must'be padded and protected in such a way that' lie cannot look, after the interests of his' department. It is, perhaps, too much to ask the -Governrrient to exercise a discretionary power . as to rates, arid if the House were to proffer such a responsibility it would, perhaps, be difficult to iiud a Minister tb accept it. At the same time,' the interests of the railways demand a concession from the present cast-iron tariff, and an effort should be made, to . meet' the dematid for cheap carriage. We do not say .that freights. and fares should bo reduced materially on every line in the colony, bub Sve hold that' there should be a machineiy by which the varying. conditions, of' traffic • in differeht' districts , could., be . met;. ' There taigb't, forexample, be a first-class : scale; of charges at present rates, a second : class scale; of charges twentyfive ps'rjcent, lower, than the first, and a third-class scale of charges fifty-per-, cent, lower than the first, If a scale of this kind, were adopted, managers were entrusted with the right to use either scale for any par-

tiubir Hire ;tljMiltjrVbt ; ; me' elihgl.;| i;ibmlje .lhdii offfuip wte;t(||wl|;|M lieyad from any, pssifrolto atijuSffbi; would simply : refer pb iveKglveii to traffic managers to decide' these points for themselves u J3f .course,. 'it' to see...that the'' igeiiehil! "results*- from'.'each ''line' were latipjaQkQi'yp^ the discretion üßg'd' by district noana:|S,LUniikv;sil'ohv^system as we suggest, there would probably be ft of, railway tVklfic; and railway revenue, which would ty accompanied'. b^i T trade throughout the'colony,,. ' !