Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1450, 18 October 1881, Page 2

Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here sh.ill the Press the People's right maintain CJnawcd by influence and unbnbed by gain.

TUESDAY, OCT. 18, 1881.

Corroborative testimony deduced from the same set of facts by a different &et of minds is, perhaps, the most reliable evidence that could be obtained in support of the soundness of a particular set of arguments or theories. Viewed in that light there is at least one portion of the speech recently delivered by the district member which has met with complete attestation. Alluding to the success already attending railway enterprise in New Zealand, Mr Whitaker argued there was fair gro.und for assuming that the returns by the end of the present financial year would show not less than four per cent, on the gross outlay, in which case Parliament would no doubt authorise the necessary financial proposals for the further prosecution of the railway system. The Hon. Mr Richardson, who is entitled to rank as a leading member of the New Zealand Legislature, and whose professional attainments as a civil engineer give to his utterances in that behalf an importance second to none in the colony, recently addressed a meeting of his constituents in Canterbury, wherein the same subject was dealt with at some length. The deductions he drew were in many respects similar to those arrived at by the member for Waipa, so much so that we are justified in saying the conclusions arrived at by the latter are borne out by an opinion representing the highest authority in the colony. The newspaper report of Mr Richardson's remarks, which speak for themselves, is couched in the following terms :—": — " Here in New Zealand we have 1,200 miles of railway constructed at a total cost of something under twelve millions, and last year we received on their total outlay a return of 3£ per cent. This went to show that we need not fear the work of construction by the Government here, so long as consideration was duly given to the cost before the work was taken in hand. There was a comparative case to which he might be permitted to refer — that of Cape Colony. In that colony they had completed last year something like 960 miles of railway, at a cost of nine millions, and the guage was exactly the same as ours — not the broad guage, as in Victoria. The people of Cape Colony thought themselves lucky, though their railways paid only 1 1 per cent. And with reference to New Zealand, it might be added that some of the South Island lines showed a return of 4^ per cent, and oven more. In his opinion, the Government ought, instead of coming down with the scheme they did, to have gone in the direction of continuing the main lines under Government auspices ; indeed they might very well have gone on with the work, so far as he was able to judge."