RAILWAY REFORM. SOME GLARING WRONGS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2204, 24 August 1886, Page 2

RAILWAY REFORM. SOME GLARING WRONGS.

TO THK KniTOR. Sm,--I wish to direct the attention of your readers to one or two points in the working of our railways which require immcdMte attention. In my cross-examination of Mr Maxwell— see report, pages 50 and 3(>— l clearly brought out the fact that the " cost of service" is greatly less on the Auckland and Napier lines than it is on the HurunuiBlutf sections. I asked how, under these circumstances, the heavy differential rating against Auckland and Napier could be justified. After a great deal of fencing and pvasion, Mr Mavwell was compelled to admit that the only reason was to get revenue. This is how the matter stands : The cost of moving one ton a mile was in

Thus it will bii «een that the cost of in iving ;< ton on a train a milo is considerably le-* m X.tpier and Auckland than it is in thi> South Island, and yet heavy differential rates tiro imposed against us. I now wi-.li to c.ill attention to what I consider a far ir.oro important matter, not only as regards the interests of country settlers, but as regards the welfare of the whole community. On pnge 20 of the " minute*" will be found a return of the passenger traffic on the Hurumu-Jjliilf section for the year ISS4-5. This return shows that the 7-53.222, who»o necessities compelled them to tnwel distances of over 10 miles, contributed £177,-">11 to the revenue, while the 1,1(52,87"), who required to travel only 10 miles and under, contubnted but £47, 133. On page 80 is a .-similar return for the Auckland lines. From this it will be seen that 131,%4 who travelled over 10 miles paid £30,313, while the 2f12,94() who tr welled under 10 miles only paid £",.")%. This appears to me. to be a very unf.iit adjustment of the burden, and when we lemember that the same rule applies to goods traffic, we need not go further to find a cause for all out commercial trouble*, and many of our social ones too. — I am, &c, Samukl Vaii.e. Auckland, 2Ut August, 188(5.

Napier . . Viicklaiid 'iiirunui-]! Mul If" 1884-5 4(5 '92 51 -01 .->f1.75 1885-0. 4515 48-34 5671

These figures aru given in pence per mile. The cost of running a train a mil© was in pence ocr mile :—: —

s T apier Vncklanrl . j..« ,: i»i.,cf 213 2 43 O-.17 2"]. "5 2 24