RAILWAY REFORM

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2491, 28 June 1888, Page 2

RAILWAY REFORM

TO THK KDITOIf. Sir,—l tliiulf that you and Mr Mamleno are rather hard on each other. Wc should reniembor the legend of the bundle of faggots, and agree to differ

amongst ourselves for our mutual benefit without mutual recrimination, Ido not agree that the way to make our railways pay is to reduce the benefit which the public should derive, and have a right to expect from them. We should rather reform their administration so that intelligent and liberal facilities will tend to their increasing use, and sense and simplicity in management should secure judicious economy. In my last letter to you I suggested what lam sanguine enough to believe would prove a success, but I am not vain enough to suppose my proposal to be faultless, and would be glid if it elicits interest and friendly criticisms and suggestions. I should regret to sec the public deprived of any reasonable advantage from our railways, as being a sign of our retrogression, an evidence of the decadence of New Zealand. We require more ami not less value for our loan expenditure of some £14,000,000. Probably for a judicious and honest expenditure of £10,000,000, we would have secured at least equal railway advantages. Yet of the £3(3,000,000 of public Genera! Govern, ment debt what have wo except the railways and telegraphs yielding any return whatever of interest on the outlay ? and because these are the only apparent asset for the expenditure, why should they alone be looked to to bear tho whole burden of the prodigious and profligate squandering of the past ? Your oilier remarks upon the raising of the loan, and generally on retrenchment and increasing taxation, are well worthy of consideration, but our reform must deal rather with principles than details. We mu.st have much less of Wellington centralism, and mora of local administration, and such that all land taxation shall be local revenii'!, and tho taxpayer have a direct and effective control over the taxspender. These subjects, however, scarcely pertain to railway management, and I may have further opportunities of speaking or writing on them.—Yours truly, W. Arum. Murray. Mount Pleasant, I'iako, June 25th, 18SS.