LEASING THE RAILWAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2525, 15 September 1888, Page 2

LEASING THE RAILWAYS.

(BY TELEGRAPH—OWN" UOUHESPOSDEST)

Auckland, Friday. A deputation , , consisting of llewrs A. H. Nathan, Jylin Reid, A. Ball, H. Green and H. Vailo waited upon the Minister of Public Works to ascertain whether the Government were really prepared to name, any sum of mousy that they would accept as a guarantee against loss during a trial of the Auckland section <f tho colonial railways on a lo.vse. Soms conversation took place between Mr Mitchelson and Mr Vailu. Mr Vailo argued that not only had ho proved his contention in theory but that on the railways of Whangarei and Kami) the experiments showed that he was absolutely right. He o.il'ed the Minister's attention to the fact that on tho Whangarei line every branch of trallic had improved during the last eight weeks by from -li!, pt;r cent to OG.V per cent., while "at the same time tho wiirkiiw e'<pon-es had decreased 81! per cent. Hi) puisited out that the argument of tho iviiUvM.v Department bad always been thai, the i:;i:r>'.\si."d ravnn.ii) derived from the Whangnrei line was due to the cessation of th« coal traltie, and that tho return just (Hinted .shoWKd tint tlu umil tonuajjo had increased by 40-lj percent. They were now e.inyin? nearly half as much more Coal than fornix!}', w!ii!u t.h-: •,v:i;l;iiig ev|".:iisc.s had decreased. The .IV-p.utmcnl, ho tharnfiire argue , !, c>i:l'l nit be right in thuir contention, and tho improvement iir.i-t, lie due :,.) l!i! sitti'salion of Hit , , system. Mr Vailu al.vi said that any reasonable cnaranteH could be given for the leasing uf the railways, and that the deputation wiinled him to name what sum tho Government would require. Mr Mitchelson asked whether, in the event of the Government being prepared t-i lease the lines, the deputation would reduce lliu rate of wiißos paid to railway employees. Mr Vailu replied that he had already >tated his opinion publicly, that all tha men employed mi the railways, no mutter what their position ;md various grades should receive Iho highest class of wages th it ought to bo above outside wagi-s, swing the responsibility of their occupation. As to how much above outsidu rate ho was not now prepared to say. Mr Mitchelson assured the deputation that the Government were sincerely anxious to do what was right in this matter, iiud that if it could be proved that Mr Vaile's system was better than theirs, they were prepared to do what they could in effecting im >rove>uents. Mr Vaile asked whether the Government would nominate a certain number of gentlemen, say four, he (Vaile) and his friends nominating four others to go through these matters in detail and report, and if he proved his position they would recommend his system having a trial. Mr Vaile said that personally ho would very much prefer to see a trial of the new system carried out under the supervision of a committee nominated as proposed, and suggested two gentlemen nominated by the Government, two by the Chamber of Commerce, one by the Pastoral Association (limited), and one appointee. The members of the deputation spoke on the desirability for improvements in railway management. Mr Mitchclsnn assured the deputation that on his return to Wellington be would again bring the whole matter before the Government, and see what could be done in the direction indicated.