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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1823, 25 October 1884, Page 2

WORKING RAILWAYS. Without wishing to cast any reflections on the present General Manager of Hallways I unhesitatingly express my opinion that the condition and management of railways are in a very unsatisfactory state. My honorable colleague, the Colonial Treasurer, recently said that in manv of the railway systems not noarly B0 We as that of oara in New Zealand, it would be thought absurd to leave to one man the virtually irresponsible control and management without any one to consult on the many difficult points which from day to day, yet such is the caso heV and I fear no great change for the better can be expected till the whole system is altered. I have been of the opinion ever since our first railways were ooened that such a system of mananeraeut as at present

prevails, could not produce satisfactory reßUlts and has each year has passed by that opinion has been strengthened aij& anything was wanted to convince mowlt a great change was wanted, the short time I have held office has afforded me ample proofs that it cannot be made too soon. It is a matter of the deepest regret to me that owing to the late period of the year the Government Inve come to the conclusion that it will be impossible to carry through a Bill this session establishing Boards of Management which would be responsible for the working of our railways, and did 1 not feel convinced that/ the Government and the House worl determined to take this course at the earliest date possible I should not' have consented to have taken office, The House .will understand that in saving this I mean no disrespect. I feel bound to state these opinions because I should otherwise accept a false position, whilst I believe that strong boards are necessary to guide and control the management both in the Middle Island and the Auckland district. I find myself with multifarious other duties to perform virtually standing in the position of two boards, I will do the best 1 can, but 1 must not pretend to think that unaided I can reform the railway system, and it requires to be reformed. Houmombers would he amazed if they knew all the powers vested in At general management by the late Govern Jt by orders m council, and otherwise. AgX however, let mo say that I have the hifhest opinion of the General Manager's ability and zeal. It is as much due to him as to ourselves that he should not be placed in a false position, Hon members are aware

that two great changes have beon made during the year, the one being an increase 111 the passenger rates, and the other doing away with the ordinary return ticlefcs, an d the other a general rise in the goods traffic. There has hardly been time enough to ascertain the effect produced by the former but the result of thee nquiries I have made clearly point to the fact that tho great bulk of the passenger traffic is confined to tho two (lays in Which the cheaper fares are obtained, and indeed, it would appear that the traffic is still being reduced on the other days of the week when the higher rates are charged. I feel convinced that in many directions the passenger rates will have to be reduced to attract the traffic the railway ought to carry, aud that such reductions if judiciously made, will result in increased receipts. With regard to the rise in the goods tariff, there is no doubtic has produced a largo increase to tho revenue. WBile this increase m receipts has taken place it is a**. undoubted fact that a great deal of tliffll traffic has been diverted from tho railwasr m some parts of tho colony, and that'the earners on the road ara competing suceoss fully with the railways. lam sure hon members will agree with me that this state of things should not occur. Comparing the quantity of goods carried on the railways during the year 1883-4 with the year 1882-3 we find as follows {-Quantity, 1882-3 and 1883-84: live stock, number 478.'004 and 686287 j goods, tons 1,664,823 and 1,700,040 From this will be seen that there was an increase during the year 1883'4 f butl consider the increase would have been much larger ' had more determined efforts been made to attract traffic on the railways, Tho remedy as I have already informed tho House, lies m a thorough revision not only of the rates charged but in the classification of the goods, and while this revision is being made every opportunity m'ist be taken to make the rates press as lightly as possible on all local productions, and on all articles the reduction on which will help either the settlers through : the country or the local industries which are established or are likely to succeed.

KOADS TO OPEN' OP CROWS LANDS BEFORE SALE. The particulars of the numerous works under tins heading will be found in table 5 of lie appendanees to this statement from which it will be seen that during the months.ending the3lstMarch last a sum™ 1j84,G31 was expended, The importance of opening up crown lands by pioneer roadl previous to their sale need not be enlarged on here, the question having been fully dealt with m the reports of the land and survey department* By stating this lam r g . 7 •° P "! 10n whether lhfl roada . have been judiciously selected or not, Out l Vr n f L ,' G , M ron. 0n the e3timate °f nKfi M lch L < 20 r 3M m advanced JTinftii"- /V* , L3 ' ooo ' ooo . th e sum o ™' 7l ' l ! "iduding liabilities, was on the A sli March last available for the carrying on' of the roads lines already on tne estimates, . With the large public estate still awaiting sott ement the demands for this class of work may dg said to be almost unlimited, but as only a certain amount of work can bo executed m each year it is proposed 'to ask toi S- 1180 , a fuifcher vote this year, of . i<21,590 to) open up blocks • of land in the several land districts wl)ich ; have been surveyed, but withheld fjQm disposal by tho ' 5 Department periding their being opened up by roads, The particulars of these proposals.

will appear on the estimates of roads under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. $ MAIS EOADS, , Ono fourth of tho cost of work to bo provided or repaid in ton years, and the balaiwe to be found by the Government. Under this heading the total amount of the applications received on the 20Hi June, when reduced in accordance with the Act of . 1883, camo to L 224.588, Of tlicso (ipplical tions those which wero for bridges wero granted in full, whilo asroj>ards those which were foe road works exclusive of bridges the available funds only admitted of their being granted to the exient of one-fifth of the amounts applied for, The total amount thus distributed for bridges and road construction together amount to L70,G81« In addition to these ordinary applications there were also applications for repairs of extraordinary damages by floods amounting to L 19,825, and grants were made ■ ou these to tho extent of £10,282. The total applieations altogether on account of main roads was therefore L 244.413, and the granted L80.9G3, of which L 41.812 Mgkwas for bridges, and ] 38,121 for otlier works. ■ PROPOSALS FOB IIIE FUTURE, The proposals lain about to make are based on principles which, after long discussion with my colleagues, I have decided on submitting to the House as the foundation of our future Public Works policy, There . are two points which we must bear distinctly in mind. First, that there is a great work for us to do in tho way of extending the railway system of feeding the railways, and of opening up the country by the construction of roads and bridges, aud at intervals, when the colony needs it, of increasing the population by immigration, which, to speak moderately, cannot be in any sense exhausted for two.or three generations. To put it in another form, the people have before them for a longer period that it is necessary to look forward to tlie task ef colomsins; the country. They have not to do this by spurts with intervals of inaction, but by steady and continuous action, Tho second

point I have to ask the House to remember is that inasmuch a? we are not engaged on a spasmodic work but on one tint will last our lives and the lives of our children and

children's children, we must endeavor to bring to iti performance as much of system wis possible, If we consider these two points jointly it will bo evident that they really amount to no more than this, that we must steadily pursue the functions of colonization as fast as, and no faster, than our means permit, and it will alsi bs evident that though we may make prognostications of tho extent of the future money at our lispo3al, an exact determination can only be arrived at from year to year, but in order to obtain a general index of the future means, it id necessary to know what is the policy of finance that is to be adopted, Tho Colonial Treasurer has already at Borne length enunciated the views of the Government on tho sabject, and I may be permitted to supplement what lias been already stated. Taking the present year as a starting point the objecc after this year will be to bring tho expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fond within the means of that fund without tho aid of Property Tax, We foresee that that can easily be done by ahifting to local expenditure some of the present charges made on the Consolidated Fund, notably tho charitable exnenditure and some other small items, let us say amounting to sume LIOO,OOO a year. It is clear that tho local bodies cannot undertake jiis without an additional revenue, and to fispense with needless points of controversy lit present, we may supposo that the LIQOjOOOis supplied by either a property tai or a land tax; Sut other rovennes will also have to be supplied to local bodies, as it cannot be satisfactory to continue for a lengthened period the policy of maintaining roads and bridges out of borrowed money, which has been virtually what has been going on for some time, Tho borrowing for roads and bridges cannot be abruptly brought to a conclusion, but its cessation must bo au oad kept in view. I need not further pursue the subject of providing local revenue, but may come to that which is of most moment to my prtsent objectconsidering how we are to find the means of pursuing colonising operations. If we accept the starting point of this year, which I have assumed, we shall have to ask ourselves how, without increasing the taxation, we may have the means of meeting tho additional annual charges on the money borrowed for the work of colonisation, There are three sources of increased revenue or increased means to which to look forward, first the natural net increases of revenue from year to year; second the increase of revenue from new railways and also the increase iu iovenuo (apart from natural increases) from existing railways as ttay are fed by new railways, roads, and fl|gc9; and third, tho annual saving from Speed rates of interest on loanß converted apart altogether from the saving of the expenditure of sinking fund with which I have in this statement nothing to do. Now, there shonld be next year and for somo years to come, at least a net natural increase of revenue of fully £50,000. There should also be over many years an average additional saving of at loast L20.C00 annually on account of reduced interest on converted loans. Some years it will amount to a great deal morn from the other source. If we pursuo the wise policy of ondeavoring as soon as possible to obtain returns from borrowed money expended, we Bhould obtain considerable increases of revenue. Apart from the natural ine 'eases, whefi the North Island Main Trunk lkilway is finished, the increases from feeiline to all the fragmentary systoms in tbo Island will be enormous. Putting this prospect on one Bide, I anticipate that if you allow me to pursue,, the works with a view to early returns, thero will bo, during tho next two or three years, an average increase in tho railway revenue of at least L 25,000. per annum; ,Wc have then a net natural increase of L 50.000, and addition each ye&r to thd savings on account of conveisioM of MSiOOOi and L 25,000 increaao on account works; in all L 95.000. The Government considers that this justifies our borrowing a million and a half during next year, 'and that the probabilities are that in future years the increases of revenue will justify at least additions of from one to ono and a half millions a year, The additional burden of this million and a half will amount present rates to LGO,OOO, but probably in a year or two the money may be borrowed at 3J instead of 4 per cent,, but it will be said I have forgotten tho additional charge of the third million to be negotiated next year. • Tho third million, however, has not been : forgotten, but in considering the difference between this year and next, it has to bo remembered that the interest on money obtained by temporary expedients and in anticipation of the loan will cover the amount of interest on tho third million, It IB a million and a half that has already been elated.' We propose to take authority to borrow, and 1 may say we also proposo that it should cover .expenditure up to the end of March 188 G. I have not taken into account the annual charge of the North Island Trunk line, one million loan, because up the extent of LIOO,OOO I think we can provide for that line out of the million and a half, and the Government wish to defer negotiating that loan until the expenditure on the line ib very heavy, _ At first with all eagerly ness to push it on it will be impossible to much money on it, whilst if the whole Sfßa brought into the treasury there will be the old danger of it being spent for something else.

VOTES. Napier to Woodville and Bunnythorpe— This lino was proposed to complete tliroi.ghas rapidly as' possible, and the vote proposed for this year is sufficient to cover as much of it as can bo conviently to let by contract before the next meeting of Parliament, . Wellington-Woodviilo—Tho vote proposed for this will be sufficient to complete the sections at presentjin hand. In conclusionMr Speaker, 1 shall only add that I hope when the time comes round for-, the next 1 annual Public Works Statement I will bo able to show that the Department generally is being administered 'with greater economy than at present, that I may have been able to place the tariff on the railways in a more eatisfactory state and tbatl shall be providing for the erection' of non-political Boards of Management, which will bo satisfactory to

this House and the country, I have, I am sure, trespassed too far oa its patieuco, and it only remains for me now to thank you Mr Speaker, and honorable membors lor the indulgence accorded to me.