RAILWAY REFORM.-THE INTERVIEW WITH THE HON. JOHN BAL LANCE. TO THE EDITOR.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2081, 7 November 1885, Page 3

RAILWAY REFORM. -THE INTERVIEW WITH THE HON. JOHN BAL LANCE. TO THE EDITOR.

Silt, —I shall fuel obliged if you can affoul me spice for a few rental ks re the iibovu lnentioued inteivi'-vv. Mr l'.illanee is icpotterl to have said, "'So far as Mr Vailo s scheme w.i< concerned, the subject h id been exhausted."' lam not at .'.ll suipnscd at this, because Mi Hal lance- had a light to be able to place conhdi nee in the statements of his colleague, Mr Richardson, and Mi Maxwell, but, fortunately foi me, they have not the least foumlntion in ti nth. Mi Kichaidson has tlnco times stated in the Hoii>e that I havo piopiwod .seveial schemes of railway reform. The whole colony, from the Noith Capo to the Bluff, knows that I have never proposed moie thin one. Ho, thcrefoip, must have been either unpaidonably ignotant of a subject that, owing to his official po-ition, he ou o 'ht to have known something about, or he has wilfully .stated that which he knows to be untiue. Mi Hallance hays " Mr V.ule's scheme has been examined, and condemned as impi.iclicablo. ' Icm only say tint 1 think it is <i voiy remarkable thing that the (!ov eminent could miko .1 pioper examination of my ncheme without any lefercneeto, or consulting me, its invent >r. I have al*o shown that Mi Maxwell's icpoit is crammed full of mLsiepieseiitatii"!)-, which cm only be accounted foi by the densest lgnoi.ince of what I havo pioposed, ot the most wilful and utter disiegmd foi the tiuth. Then I think the coiintiy has .v right to know v\ ho has examined and found my scheme to be " linpiactic.ible."' Tf it is Mi Rich udson and Mr Maxwell, they .no not pioper judges, for then positions depend on thn piesent older of things being main tamed, and I al-«o deny then competence todecit'eon a que«tiou of comineicial and iinnnctal policy, which this p'uely i~. Mi H.ill.Hice snys it is stiangt) my plan has not been adopted in Knglami. There must bo a beginning nomevvhere, and I do not see why a new idea cannot as well oiiginate heic as theie. Tltciu aie also a veiy gieat miny reason* why it would be much moie dilHcult to cany out such a system in England. Mr P>allanee appeals to ho miawaie that different lates do exist m different puts of the colony, but he evidently agiecs with me that all distiicfs ought to be treated alike. Befoie conclud ing allow me to expiens my thanks to Capt. Stjele for his spmted offei on behalf of himself and ft tends. I have *pent my money, and it is nn eneomagement to me to Hud othpis aru willing to do bo also. — I am, yours obediently, Swim. Vaii i . Auckland, Nov. Itli, \H»\