Our Railways.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4634, 29 January 1894, Page 2

Our Railways.

[lO THB EDITORWD I . TIMES.]

v Sib,- Your sub-leader of 23rd opm»! roences—" The temporary settlement' of the" Kailway .Cpinmiasipnor 'M<; : Kilty,is a reasonable'; one,' 1 .1- ; anv sbr'rj'tod.iffer.frora-i'you—sorry tobe; compelled to write, that both as regards: the liighesUiiteresta of theColphy, and; justice: to the two diseharged;Oom«: Eoissioners—tbe job stands out as the; most damaging I ',to: publio interests;■; and the meanest of the many, ;con*, sutnmated by the First, to the intereats, involved, pat unohallengeablyi r as railway man.south of the public man, who haß been in oonH him, and whose opinion to worth pi ing, has had to admit thia—in maliy: cases unwillingly, becaus^ political or personal bias. ' Hhtisw and. other public document's, beat ample proot of this, from both sides of tbe House. And what is of more importance still—his; great ability has always been—not at the disposal of party, but of the country.' Regard-.' less of threats or pressure, the still strong man discerned bis duty and never once surrendered. Errors liecommilted—yes—but of them all, and their extent and nature, it is quits sufficient to say that not one of Mr Seddon's slanderous oharges, but was triumphant ly refuted. Have we any right -to expect that either of the new men will replace him, none whatever—suoh men as Mr Maxwell are rare in any country, and the, world's- history shows it. It is an open secret, that when Mr Maxwell visited England some, time ago, more than one. eminent railway, man at Borne expressed their surprieeat the man's power and grasp of his. business . Look\ At -. Victoria^—Tbrea new. Commissioners appointed vice Speight and fellow Commiaaioner, discharged for political reasons. The newsmen are' admittedly a ghastly failure, and it is an open secret that the "Paterson'.. Government were anxious for, heavy damages against the "Age," ao as .to giv<s them a ohance of re-appointing Speight, and then the personal aspect of the miserable, business.'. Twenty' years of high and: honourable ■ service—dißoharged at 48 hours notice.'l say that language" fails 'md, . in .expressinoiy sense of the'disgrabe heaped upot|tlie Colony, by snob conduot,; Some v day, let us hope, the Colony will wake up to a due and proper-sense of the unutterable /meanness, perpetrated in its name by a Government utterly.bereft of every manly: instinot, and; all; this for ,what-to liok the boota of the Unioriiata—notably the Railway So--1 oiety Union, whose stronghold is .the Railway.' Workehpps. ■• These.; men have, now got into. the position ot , manufacturing ■ railway rolling stoofr, in many oases.' at a cost of 60% over , .what it would cost to import a betterarticle, Who payß for this-.tha | general taxpayer—who. will, pay for the'now Commissioners education—the same patient animal. I have ■ said nothing of Mr Hannay, agenial , likeable, and, able publio servant, though more easily replaced. Imagin- . ing, Mr Ronayne to be bis equal in , ability, he must take yearstogaintbe experience.. ~ The tax-pttyer pays, who cares,.apparently not the prgftof tho [ Wairarapa.','; '^-iWv 1.. • :,'.,• i.-Yonra'truly,. ;..••> (. , ':.:• !Poheke,