RAILWAY REFORM.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2218, 25 September 1886, Page 3

RAILWAY REFORM.

TO THE EDITOR. SlR__ThereS IR __There is a coach run from Hamilton t« Raglan. It is run by a private party. We, the public, never hear any complaint about thus coach ; no f.iult about high charge.", blow pace, or anything elie ; the public seem well pleaded. This is pleasant, but how different would it be if the coach wa.s run by Government. It would be all complaints — incompetent driver, incommodious coach, charges too high, should run twice a day instead of twice a week. One iiaglanite would be for a wanning pan in the winter, another would be wanting iced water in the summer, and the c msequence would ba that the coach would be run at a dead lob*. Still this would not satisfy the compl.iiners, they would still go on crying. As it would be with this coach so it is with the railway. Mr Editor, if your house was rotten in the foundation, yutting props in above the foundation would not keep your house up. No, you have to go to the root of the evil. If we want the railways to pay, and pay they must, no matter what the consequences be. we must remove the rotten found ition. And what is rotten about the railways is that they are run for the public good and the convenience of the public. How long would a storekeeper remain a storekeeper if the public were to dictate to him as to what profit he should charge, and to whom he would give tick? One of the public would say "Sell at small profits and do a big business," although there wet o no big business to do; another would say "Give credit." He would say credit is the life of trade. So it is if the creditors are worthy of credit. Altogether if that poor benighted storekeeper was to please the public he would make a proper mull of both himself and his business. S® it is with the railways ; if they are run to please the public so long will they, as a finincial success, be made a mull of, and a financial succebs they must and shall be, for the future railways and everything else must be upon sound principles, and that is, that first principles must be correct and adhered to. I call upon Mr Richardson to dare and defy the public. I call upon him to strengthen and support the managers, so that by his support they may be able to run the railways upon the principles of commercial sound sense. If ho does so we will have him in the Hall Government. Mr Editor, I have no means of knowing the capabilities of the railway managers. Have those who write about them any better means than I have of knowing whether they are incompetent or not? I ■would under these circumstances, be a poor scribe, because it is the fashion and also taking to hound men down merely because it is a"cry. Why, a parrot can repeat a cry. I disdain to b» ... parrot. My earnest desire is to have biains, not a tongue. ±56sides how unfair it is to clamour against a man without having knowledge to guide you whether you are right or wrong. There *re no cruel despots equal to the people, they are the greatest tyrants of all, and the most pig-headed too. -Yours trul*^^

Yes ! It is certainly true. Ask any of your friends who have purchased there. Garliek and Cranwell have numerous unasked for and Jerv favourable commendations irom country Somcrson their excellent packing of Furnicuitomcr &c _ Ladies and tU *Wn about to furnish should remember SS SSck : aSd CranwellN i, thk Cheap FuriishtnVWhwehouse of Auckland Furniture to SleWs; also CarpeK Floor Cloths and n House Necessaries. If your new house is a Jit finished or, you are iroing to get ro.irT/d vWt Gariick'and C.anwell, Queen-street »«d Lome-street Auckland. Intending pur ?rre.7« £n h*ve a catalogue bent free.