RAILWAY REFORM. Report of the Committee on Mr Valie's Scheme.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2200, 14 August 1886, Page 2

RAILWAY REFORM. Report of the Committee on Mr Valie's Scheme.

TITK Parli.iment.il y Committee appointed to examine the scheme of l.nlw.iy mauagemeiit elaborated by Mr Samuel Vaile ptcsentod the following re|wtit t<> the House on Thursday :—": — " The Select Committee appointed to enquue into and report upon the .system of railway fans and charges proposed by Mr S.imuel Vaile, of Auckland, as .set foit on page 1 of the evidence, have carefully inquiied into the same, and ha\e agreed to the following report : — Yonr Committee have taken a great deal of evidence regarding the piacticability and probable financial results of Mr Vaile's scheme, as .ifiplied to passenger traffic, and the balance of evidence given by experts was unfavourable to it, while the evidence in its favour aevmed to depend large!}' upon speculative estimates of piobablr increases of tiaffic m certain proportions over Jhe various distance-, and in the diffuient classes. On the other hand, however, the returns furnished to the committee by the Railway Department, and included in the evidence, giving detailed particular* of the passenger traffic and the revenue derived from it fiom station to station, and for the various distances, to .some extent suppoited Mr Vaile's contentions. Mr Vaile stated that having no departmental returns on which to base his calculation he wa-. unable to estimate even approvimately the effect of his system as applied to goods ti attic, The. evidence regaiding the applicability of the system to the carriage of goods, fioni which sou ice, inme than two-thirds of our railway revenue is deiived, was unfortunately of the most meagre description, all of the witness called by Mr Vaile bating that they had not coiwdeied that part of the question and declining to expre.s.s any definite or decided opinion^ regarding it. The Committee finds — (1) That it may be inferred from the numerous petitions referred to this, committee, that a great deal of discontent and desire for change exists in the colony with tegaid to the piesent system of railway management. These petitions also favour the adoption of Mr Vaile'.s system. (*J) That although the .system now in force in New Zealand is similar to that in the United Kingdom and its dependencies, and is well administered, it is, nevertheless, not satisfactory a.s a system. (3) That there is generally a belief that the present scale of charge^ is higher than is de^rable in the best interests of the colony, and that » considerably reduced scale, especially as regards New Zealand products, would largely promote settlement and production. For these reasons, while admitting that the evidence adduced in favour of Mr Vaile's system has not been sufficient to prove that it would be a financial Micce<s, or to warrant its application to the railways of the colony as a whole, the Committee, bearing in mind the great importance of the subject, e\pies.se.s itself of opinion that ft trial should be given to the sy»teni on an isolated section of our railways. ]t would, however, be unfair that one of our railways should enjoy the advantage of cheap transit, thereby enhancing the value of propeity thereon, ;>t the r\pense of the general colonial levenuo : theiefou* thr following proviso is necessary : and the committee recommends the ( l ov eminent by legislation, to give local bodies, tin; power of cm tying it into ettect wheie they so dfsiie, provided that the various local bodies m the district served by the section of tailway to which this scheme is to be applied, shall have, stiuek a Lite sufficient, in the opinion of the (Government, to recoup any loss to the revenue which it may entail, such I<>— , if any, to be calculated on the basis of the revenue of that section for the past finan ci.d year, with tho average increase <>i^ decrease of eenei.il leuMiueof tho New Zealand railways uitliei added or deducted. K. Mi it'in i sun, Chan man.

We direct especial attention to Mr Parr's adtcrtinenu'it in .mother column. Wo direct pirticular attention to Messrs Hay and duist\ now nd\ernsement in another Kilunin ihe list of articles in their £o p.ircel will rep iy pcrsu il.