MR VAILE'S RAILWAY SCHEME.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2334, 25 June 1887, Page 2

MR VAILE'S RAILWAY SCHEME.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib,—Mr Yaile, in a letter to the Auckland Herald a short time'ago, said we would require so many more passengers (I forget the amount) for the one now carried to place him on an equality with the present tariff by his reduced fares. He said he would have no difficulty in doing so. Now, for sake of argument we will take for granted that he would find no difficulty in getting the extra passengers at Hamilton to book for Te Rapa, to study botany in the bush adjacent, but where are the extra ones at Te Itapa to take the place of the Hamilton ones for Pukete, or at Pukete for Ngaruawahia ? He might get a few at Ngaruawahia to book for Taupiri ; where are the extra ones at Taupiri to ieplace the Ngaruawahiaones, or what are the attractions at Ohinevvai to tempt the number required at Huntly to book for there? Where are the extra ones required at Ohinewai to book for Rangiriri, Wairan'ui Whangamarino, Meremere, and H n on "till near Auckland? When Mr Vaile was in Hamilton he tried to induce the public to believe in his scheme by saying that he was certain as to the success of his scheme, because it was workable on a small inetropolitian line in London and one in New York. Now in either of those cities we have thousands of workmen who find it economical to live in the suburbs and so use those lines morning and evening. They run through the centre of wealth and opullence ; thousands living on their money, and finding time hang heavy on their hands use those lines for the company's benefit. In New Zealand we find no such thing. The railways often run through swamps and morasses, where settlement is impossible, and no traffic to be found. Then again, the speed our trains travel at is a serious consideration. Our trains travel about 15 miles an hour. In England, I believe, the average is 45 miles. Consequently an engine driver, guard and stoker accomplish in one hour in what it takes the same class of men here three hours to accomplish, so that we are paying three times the wages that they receive in England on that account alone. Again, the wages and salaries that the officials receive here is fully double what they receive in England, and as all plant and machinery used_ are more or less imported this entails _an additional expense. So, Mr Editor, you will see the utter impossibility of such a scheme as propounded by Mr Vaile being a success, it would only involve the colony in more debt. Mr Vaile is like the man who for the first time went to harness a horse, started at the animal's tail to get the collar on, till a gentle reminder from the said animal brought him to his senses. We all know that the agricultural interests are suffering, and through it all storekeepers, merchants, and so forth. Mr Vaile's scheme would invite more over-production and additional taxation through loss of revenue in working the railways. What we want is more mouths to consume the present over-production. That can only be supplied by manufactories and industries that would create population in our provincial towns. The late Mayor of Hamilton (Mr W. A. Graham) made a move in the right direction when he had the market fares established so far as Hamilton was concerned, but he seemed to overlook the fact that while he had the farmer conveyed cheap to Hamilton on one day in the week, the said farmer had to send his produce or stock by road, the present freights being prohibitive. Now I believe if the Government would only say on one day in the week we will carry all goods at reduced prices, and on other days we will charge a higher rate, the consequence would be that instead of sending empty or half-loaded trucks, they would get full ones on that day. The officials no doubt, would be kept busy on the previous day and the day of forwarding the goods, but they could go to bed for the rest of the week to recoup themselves, less hands would be required, and less books and forms wasted. Another grievance we want set right is that the Railway Department be compelled to provide a cool and separate van for the conveyance of butter to Auckland. Last year the butter that was shipped arrived in Auckland in the shape of oil, bein? placed in the guard's van, alongside of sheep, dogs, goats, calves and so forth, thereby contaminating the butter. In conclusion, I would say to every settler give Mr Vaile and his scheme no encouragement, as by so doing you are only giving an excuse to the Government to still oppress you in the shape of freight. Give him and his scheme one good shunt into a siding, and when you get him there lock the points and put on the block and let him have a rest, for he badly needs it. There is no Government could, in the face of the present state of the country, grant a trial of a scheme wholly based on theory and speculation. Fads and experiments and extravagance are what has placed New Zealand in her present condition, and until we get rid of all this we will never prosper. lam beginning, like " Haripipi," to despair of ever seeing the country reform. and surely and certainly Macaulay's 'prophecy will have to be reversed, and instead of the future New Zealander, moralising over the ruins of London Bridge, |the future Cockney will be looking down on the 'ruins of Hamilton Bridge and all othor buildings in the colony that his money helped to construct. I remember a town in the old country that never seemed to be making progress because it lived on hopes of money to be gained at election time by bribery. The ballot removed that, and at the present time that town has two large woollen factories, four flour mills, distilleries, saw-mills and other industries not known there before. Have we no bribery here? Everyone trying to grab all they can for their own district, let it be for the good of the colony or not so long as they get the money spent. In a future letter I will give you some of my experience of English railways from a working man's point of view.—¥~onrs faithfully, J. G, BUXLEK, Hamilton, J line 24th,