RAILWAY REFORM : MR VAILE'S REPLY TO THE HON. MR RICHARDSON.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2038, 30 July 1885, Page 3

RAILWAY REFORM : MR VAILE'S REPLY TO THE HON. MR RICHARDSON.

TO THK EDITOR. Sir,—" Caught tripping ut last was the exclamation of ji friend as he met me in the sticct tin-, morning. Yes, caught tupping, but not on any mateual point, nor to the extent htated ; and considering that when I first took it up the subject was entirely new to me, considering the great difficulty of dealing with it, conmdenng tho many and intricate calculations I ha\e had to work out, I think I may claim it as a iemarkable testimony lo my general accuracj that, after a continuous agitation, extending over two years and seven months, this is the only en or that has been pointed out. I gave seven exampks of mileage and i.ites, and 111 those theie vveie two enois as to mileage, 01 rathei one eiioi twice stated. I am often taunted with being an am.iteui, and pcihaps I may be e\cn-ed on that account. Hut wh.it shall we «ay to tho head of tho depaitment making thiee cuors out of four statements"' If he did not know, who should know, md which of us lias shown the gieater ignorance 01 desne to mislead ? _ Mr Richaidson's statement th.it simil.u on org will be found in nearly r\eiy dotu nient I have published is as false as liis otheistateinentth.it mv plan of railway management has been frequently altered. Some clerical errors there may be, buttheio aie none involving any principle, nor h.is there been any attempt or vv ish to mislead If he has ever studied my papers (which I very much doubt), he knows that I am ju-ti fied in saying that there is not any truth m either statement. I wrote my letter on the coal freights under exceptional circumstances, and did not have my maps by me, or I should not have fallen into the error. As the Department docs not publish a general time and distance table for the whole colony— tho only thing obtainable being separate sheets foi each distuct, about thd size of .1 bath towel— l and others a r e diiven to Bi.id*haw fur dis tances outside our own distiict; therefme 1 may not be exactly accurate, but the follow ing statement will show that I am fat neater the truth than the Minister i«, in the statement he is said to havo made to the House. This is how I took tho calculation :— 1. Spnngheld to Rolleston, Rolleston to Addington, Addington toßanpiora. Total distance, (!"> miles, liiadshaw makes this f>2 miles. This must be the distance Mi Richardson says is foity miles. How he makes it out I do not know. 2. Springfield to Christchurch, Christchmch to Rakai.i. Total, 80 miles. Heie I made the mistake of taking the distance to Christchiuch mhtead of to Rolleston, thus making .in error of 29 miles. Tho correct distance is, I believe, 52 miles. 3. Springfield to Ashburton. Hero I made the same error as above. Tho leal distance is 0!) miles. This Mr Richarnson mcoirectly states as .18 miles. 4. Shag Point to Pehchet Bay. My distance is correctly stated at 45 miles. 5. Sterling to Dunedm, correctly stated at 51 miles. G. Sterling to Invercargill, correctly stated at 89 miles. This is on the mam lino from Dunedm to Invercargill, and Mr Richardson must be possessed of a- marvellous amount of effionteiy 01 ignorance to tell the House that the distance is only 57 miles. 7. Huntly to Auckland, distance coirectly stated at G") miles. By consulting an ordinary Bradshaw any one can satisfy oneself that the above distances aie substantially correct ; but aftei all, this matter oj distances has nothing to do with the question at issue, which is— Are different rates charged in different districts? The following table at per ton per mile will show that they are :—

Then such nice little paragraphs as the following are quietly slid into the tariff :— "For the puipo«o of chaiging for the con veyanco of goods of classes A, B, C and D, consigned between Kai.ipoi and Christchurcii, the distance will be deemed to be nine miles." The leal distance being 14 miles. "For the purpose of computing the ehaige for paicels com eyed between K.mgior.i and Christchurth, the distance will be deemed 15 miles." The actual distance is 21 miles. These concessions not being sufficient to siti-fy Canterbury, hi thet.uitf oi Ist M.iy List the following appo.us :—": — " Kates foi the convenience of goods between Chnstchnrch and Kangioia, and Christclnuch and Kaiapoi including collection and delivery within the boioughs of Kangioia avid Kaiapoi, and delneiy at Christclmrch : Between Clnistchurch and R.ingioia, A, 13, C and I) per ton : between Christclnuch and Kaiapoi, (is per ton." It will be seen that operating fr »m these two centies, the Christen urch merchants can distubute their goods o\cr the whole 21 mihvi for veiy muclil less rates than they can be from other centies. Thus : R.ingioia, Hs ; then back to Flaxton, five miles; a\ernge rate for the four classes, 4h Gd=l2a 4id per ton for tlie 2(i miles ; or they can, of course, move them straight on for the Mime price. They have only to oper.itu from Kaiapoi m the same manner to cover the whole distance. The average ehaige for the four claque* for a 51-mile distance in the other provinces is as follows :—

In the above scale the lowest cmuge 1^ 50 per cent, above the Canterbnry rate. It appears to me Mr Kichardson would be better employed explaining why these anomalies exist than in making Li lit; statements about a system he has ne\er examined, and certainly does not uudeistand, For a, unique specimen of the use of words to conceal their meaning commend me to the following, which was sneaked into Mr Richardson's tanff of January last . — " Goods of class X carried between ntations ninth of Oamaru, and including Oamaiu and breakwater, will be chaiged classified rates up to eight mile-*, and foi all distances over eight miles at the rate of Is (id per ton less than the classified rates, but m no ca^e lews than at the rate of 4s per ton for distances of o\er eight miles." " For goods of Class E from stations noith of Oamaru to stations south thereof, or vice versa, the classified rates will be reduced to tho extent specified above for the distance such goods are carried noith of Oamaru." No ordinaiy reader could understand this railway jaigon. What it means is a diffeiential rating of Is (id pet ton in favour of Canterbury and against Otjgo and Southland. When lecturing m those centies I pointed this out. They took prompt action, and the clause was speedily lemoved. I hope I shall not be misunderstood as wishing to have the Canterbury rates raised. On the contraiy, I assert that they could be reduced fully one-third all lound with great advantage both to the le venue and users of the railways ; but what I do complain of is, the different tieatment of tho various districts and tho preference given to Canterbury. Why Auckland and Otago should bo placed at a disadvantage as regards that province I do not see, especially when it is considered that between them they pay fully two-thirds of the whole lons on the railwayb of the colony. By what authority diffeientul rating has been introduced on our railways I do not know. Parliament certainly never contemplated anything of the kind. It cannot be too well borne in mind that it is the avowed wish of tho department to so elaborate this nystem, and so complied to the rates, that no one will bo able to tell what tho rates are, and thus enable the officials to charge just wh.it they choose, and give no 1 eat-on for what they do. Tf anyone doubts this statement, let him read tho genoial m.unger's leport for June, 188 1. How this stnt« of things is bi ought about will be better undei stood when I state on one English railway alone theio are ton million (10,000,000) rates in existence, theieforo no one can read them for buxinoss purposes. We are now rapidly drifting into the same position. In the tariff of October, 1883, " Local lates" occupied 0J pages ; in that of May last, 19 months later, they occupy all but a few lines of nine page. A few moie years of this "sort of thing will place the commerce of the country entirely at the mercy of any designing crowd who might happen to bo in office. If every incoming Minister is to alter and manipulate our rates as he choose-), under such a system it is easy to see that fearful evils must ensue, but no one can guago their extent. I understand this " differential rating" systom, have studied it oloiely, and know

.sonic of tho many and great evils, comnioi ei.il, .social and inoi.il, it has brought upon the olclei countues. Peisonally, I have nothing to g.nn, and probably a great deal to lose! by tins contest, but having a full «enso of the danger, it will not be my fault if tho country is not made awaro of it, and to that end 1 have spared neither time, labom, nor money. When I am accused of falling into eirora it should be borne in mind that the rates are now constantly changing, and that what is .stated to be an error on my part is probably a comparison with the present rate when a foi mer one was referred to. If Mr Richardson leally bche\es what he states ho will support the Railway Reform League's petition, and thus avail himself of a grand opportunity of proving my ignorance, and the truth of his statements. —l am, etc., Auckland, July 22, 1S8"». P S, -1 should h.i\o stated that piior to Mi Richaid^oii -» piesent teiin of ofheo the twenty one miles from Ohiibtchmch to Rangioia ua-> •'deemed" to be sixteen miles ; he i educed it to fifteen, and pi obably ne\t >eai he will "deem" it to be ten miles. I am notaw.ue what biilliant genius first " deemed ' sixteen miles in Cmteibuiy to be equal to twentj one auj wheie else, but pi obably Mi UichouKon dunng his former term of olHco. S. Y.

Springfield to Kangiora Ditto to Kakaifv Ditto to Ashl)uiton ■>hnp Point to Pchchct Bay sterling to Dunedin Ditto to Imcrcaigill . . Huntly to Auckland 1 2 Old 1 11 2()d 1 liTd 1 r» M 1 20 :»ld 1 21-B'Jd 1 21 (i.jd

Dunedin, with terminal charge of Is Id Wellington, without terminal Auckland, u ith teinunnl of Is 8d \apu>r, without terminal WaiiL'intn, without terminal rer I on. s. d. 12 0 12 1(H 13 i)t 12 IT,1 T , 12 Hrt