RAILWAY REFORM: THE CONTEMPLATED BOARDS. TO THE EDITOR.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1996, 23 April 1885, Page 2

RAILWAY REFORM: THE CONTEMPLATED BOARDS. TO THE EDITOR.

Sik,— Dm ing iu\ late Southern tour at e\ci\ meeting] addie-sed f v.is iiiv.ui.ibly asked this question, " Wlhit is youi o]nnti»i of the inopit^.il to plnco our railways under the management of Uo.uds ?" My sroneial leply n».s, that I h.id not as yet given much attention to th.it pal tof thu question, but was cleaily of opinion that tho lailways ought to be, if possible, lemoved fr mi the political control of tho (Jo\ eminent, Piolubly the best plan would bo to appoint two small Boaids — ono for each island ; cich Boaid to consist of three menibersono of tlu'in to luvo a practical knowledge of tho manipulation of railway tr.ittie and the othei two to be commeicial and (inauci.il mvii ; all fares and heights to bo fixed by a conference of tho two Boaidi, and to bo unifoi'ii thionghout tho whole colony, and not to be altered except by a confeientv of tho two Boards. Such was my reply, but I stiongly cautioned my. heaieis against allowing any Boards to be foinied until a Royal Commission has repoited on the wholo question of the pi osent position and futuie management of om lailways. Since my lotuin I have devoted moio attention to this part of the subject, and the more closely I study it tholesH I like tho idea of tho pioposud Boards. liie Government, by a, long series of blunder*, have br night our lailways to tho very verge of rum, and tho cieation of these Boaids appears to me to be only an ingenious devico for shunting tho lesponsibilily of a huge department, which i» in a ntivte of utter collapse, on to other Hhonldcrfl, and at tho ftnnio time create a further largo amount of Government patronage. It i% no doubt, a clover stroke of policy, but 1 think not calculated to benoh't the public. At any r.tto if Boards are to take tho railways over, a Royal Commission ought to bo uppomtcd and a most Huarclimg inveutigation made into their pi enent position. If this is not done, tho ]i<>ards will simply bo placing themselves in tho position of taking over a banknipt concern, without oven examining the book'H. Bofoio Boards take chaigo wo ought also t<> detormino the great question of whothor the railways are to to be managed on a national basis, with equal lights and privileges to the whole community, or whether they arc to continue to bo managed an they now are, for the benefit of certain favmued districts to the detiimontof alj tho re»t of the colony. If he oppress -d distr.cts do not look w il \ te it they will hud out when ton Lite, that tiioy will bo giound to powder by these Boards under tho " differential rating nystem." If the Himplo nliui of management I prnpnso wcio bi ought into force, there loally would bo no need of those Boards, and thus the country would bo saved tho enormouH cost of tho forty-fivo new billets I am given to understand that it in the intention of the Government to create. — 1 am, &c, Samlkl Vui.h. Auckland, April 18, 188,").

The AVoodlaridi tabloaux uru unavoidably postponed fur two month*. Mr J. IX Hill, chairman of the Alexandra Licensing District, notices in our advertising ( oliimns ill it .1 poll will In- t iki n on the lHth M.iy, to di ride win tin r tin mimbt r of Ik < nsos may or puy not be inuujsid.