RAILWAY REFORM "AN OLD WAIKA TO SETTLER " AND HIS AMUSEMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2292, 19 March 1887, Page 2

RAILWAY REFORM "AN OLD WAIKA TO SETTLER " AND HIS AMUSEMENT.

TO THE EDITOR. ' Sir, —As you published the letter of "An Old Waikato Settler" which had appeared ; in the Herald, will you kindly extend the \ same courtesy to me, and republish my re--7 ply to him.—With best wishes, faithfully " yours, Samuel Vaile. j Auckland, 10th March, 1887.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Having been out of town, I have been unable to reply to "An Old Waikato Settler " sooner, nor should I think it worth while to do so now were it not for the accusations of inconsistency and of discourtesy to Mr Price-Williams. In the two letters referred to I have not said _ one single word as to what Mr Price-Williams said to me about my own system. As a matter of fact very little conversation passed on this portion of _ the sub ject. I was .seeking, not giving, information. I was certainly under the impression that he told me that on all the tnain principles he was with me, but have never before said so in print. If our " Old Settler " had had any knowledge of the subject he tries to write about he would have known that my letter of the 7th of February referred entirely to what has been done on the Euglish railways, and has nothing whatever to do with my own system. He quotes several paragraphs from this letter complimentary to Mr. Price-Williams, and then accuses me of altering my opinion. I have done nothing of the kind, and I very readily repeat and emphatically endorse all that I there said. This is were the mistake comes in. Writers of the " Old Waikato Settler" stamp are unable to distinguish betweeu railway traffic management and railway policy. The two things are totally distinct. When I met Mr. Price-Williams I was under the impression that he had had great experience' in railway management, and that he had written largely on railway policy. I have since found out my and believe I am right in saying that his work has been confined to the study of the best methods of working railways from an engineer's point of view. When I spoke of Mr Price-Williams not understanding my system, I certainly did not mean to imply that he was unable to do so—this would have been to condemn myself—but merely that he had not studied it. I did not explain it to him myself, and it appears to me that as to its working, all he knows about it is what the officials in Wellington cho.se to tell him, and judging from the evidence they gave before the committee, they would not stick at trifles in order to deceive him, " Colonist," in your issue of this morning, thinks it a pity that 1 should have invited an opinion from

Mr Price-Williams. I never did ho, but otlii'r* did, and I have hitherto only referred to wliat lie is reported to have said to them. If ho has been misrepresented, the fault is not mine. "An old Waikato Settler's idea "of a courteous gentleman" •'does amuse." toe. His ideal appears to a man who, when asked for his opinion oil a subject of the most vital importance to the whole community, will only tell on half the truth for fear of giving offence to somebody. For my part, I should never have thought of offering such an insult either to Mr Price-Williams or any other gentleman. —I am, yours faithfully. Samuel Vaile. Auckland, 14th March, ISS7.