RAILWAY REFORM,

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2013, 2 June 1885, Page 2

RAILWAY REFORM,

1(> 1111, KDILOIt. Sm,— Tn a lecent issue \ou mgi-d each one tocontuhute something tow aids the woik oftlioK.ulw.iv Kefoiin League. Such .111 .v^nmaticm is lnciiiuplcto without a motto. lVimit 1110 tn otter them tin-, : " Facele hominus id quod \ uluiit tiL.-iiimt." M mv people are signing this petition 111 the belief tli.it it will socuie a thoimigh e\.tuiin;itinn of the question. Fei nut me to point out that it will do nothing of the kind. On the contraiy ; it mil prevent our trotting any refm 111 at all. At the meeting 011 May 'Itii I mi nod a lonlutioii in favmu ot .1 petition foi n commission to euquue into the cutne question, to ha\ 0 the evidence of practical men and of "'lival lefmmets," and then eithei piepaie a fcheine themselves, oi .suggest a hoard of competent men to do so. 1 pointed "lit that the commission, or men nominated by them, were alone competent to deal with this matter; for they alone have access to the Departmental statistics, on which nny piactical scheme must be baaed, dipt. Steole miccceded, by .1 majority of eight, in carrying an amendmout in favour of the petition we aio now asked to sign. This petition prays : "Tint :i commission may be appointed to enquire into and report upon the proposed .system, and also any other pchenic that may be pmposed." Tho " system' refoiied to is in anothei 1 paragraph defined as "' a system of levying rates aud charge-*." Thus, it will be seen, the petition deals only with, iatcs and charges, aud neglects the equally impoitant questions of geueial management, increase of facilities, and abolition of political interference. Again, it will be seen that the CommisMoneis are not to prepare a of thuir own; — tho Ministers or l.iilu.iy manager are not to piepaiu any scheme, .istheyaie inciiibei.s of the Coiiimis.sion ; -all of thorn <ne simply to repmt upon the woik of "n\al leformeis," that is, of meu who have no lespoiHibihtj, and no mfoim.ition on which to base their opinions. This petition hmj have one of tlneo losults:— (1) Parliament will probably refuse to gnint such a Commission, in which case we get no leform ; (2) the Commis.sioni may icject the scheine.s of "livnl leformeis,"*' then again we get 110 rofoim, and in either of those cases a grave responsibility will rest on those who, by their naiiowing the question, perpetuate tho pie»eut system ; it in possiblo that the Commission may report in favour of giving the scheme Captain Steelo advocates a trial, and in that caso I will \entuie to pi edict that it will be abandoned within two years as ruinously expensive. Within that time a few land speculator will Inenabled to .sell their land and the whole community will bo saddled with he.i\> taxation. Having been a railway traffic manager in England, I have felt it my duty to endeavour to assist my fellow Hettlers to a light conclusion in this matter. For thi.s 1 have been sul netted to peisonal attacks as gios*, as tin v aie iintiuthful. In reply I ask ■Nmi to in ndthe views I have stated. Tune will show whethei they are Correct.— l am, &.e., A. Kw.\niiniCK.

Mr Hueli Kno\ informs the inhabitants ot Hamilton, through our ai\< rtisinp columns, that ho intends opening .1 butchering bus.ine:>s in the promises lately occupied bv Messrs Qu.iltroujjh ai d. White, Hamilton \Wt,on ijaturdaj next, 6th instant. A Oood Account.—" To sum it up, six long yoars of bcd-i idden sickness and suffennr, costing jC»O per j car, total £210, all of which was stopped by three bottles of American Cj's Hep Bitters taken bv my wife, who has done her own house work for a year sirce without the loss of a day, and I want e\ orybody to know it f»t|tbcir bo.tn.ltf."— John Wiiks, IMfer. }jh4.