The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, FEB. 16, 1889.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2590, 16 February 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, FEB. 16, 1889.

Equ.il and exact justice to all men 01 whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

It would be dilHuult to iinrl another man who lias been so much and so persistently abused as Mr J. P. JLixwell, for many years the autocratic General Manager of the New Zealand Railways, and now one of the Commissioneis on. the B'»rd of Control. His almost I universal unpopulinty has be< n ns ! jriv.-it iii 'his put of the colony us ii- iinv oilurr. The people of the WuiUu'.o have uovi.t ceased, to as-

sociatc Mr Maxwell, the General Malinger, with all the failures of the lines, the losses of revenue, vexatious tariffs, inconvenient train services, decay of settlement, and all the multitudinous worries to which they have beensubjeatedalmost from the day they welcomed the advent of the Iron Horse amongst them. The odium of all these things has been heaped upon Mr Maxwell and his alleged mismanagement; the whole of the sins of commission and omission have been borne by the late General Manager. We ourselves have bitterly denounced Mr J. P. .Maxwell, and in doing so, were thoroughly in accord with the state of public feeling in the Waikato towards that gentleman. There is no doubt that his appointment to the Railway Board, where he enjoys a position of greater power than before, was looked upon in the Waikato as a direct affront to the popular will, and left people to conclude that it was hopeless to expect j any reform in the railway system. The antagonism displayed towards Mr Maxwell was intended as a living protest against the system and policy so often condemned. We cannot believe there was ever any personal animosity against Mr Maxwell imparted in the public opinion of his regime, as it was usually called. But we must not allow our feelings and opposition to carry us beyond the bounds of prudence and fairness. The Railway Board, as authorised by Parliament, has been launched into being, and we are called upon to accord it a generous trial. Wo have not now to do with Mr Maxwell, the General Manager, carrying out the instructions of, and subject to the political exigencies of, a Ministry holding office by means of party government, but with Mr J. P. Maxwell, one of three Commissioners on whom has been placed a very groat trust, and iu the exercise of which they are endowed with enormous powers, and on whoso actions much of the weal or woe of the colony will dopend. It is not for us to prejudge and hamper them iu their functions; it is rather our duty to cast aside all preconceived prejudices and both watch and help them. The Commissioners have begun their reign well; that is, thev have set themselves the task at once of studying tho country and asking the people to meet them and give them their confidence. It is right and proper that these great public functionaries should be received, on their own invitation, in a liberal spirit by all classes of the community. This was the view extended to Mr Maxwell's visit to the Waikato, where he came, virtually, into the enemy's country. The most important interview he had during his stay in this district was the one at Hamilton on Thursday, where he met a representative deputation, and held a long and very friendly intercourse with them on many questions bearing on the policy and management of the lines. Nothing could have been more pleasant and satisfactory than the manner in which the meeting wasconducted; and the impression left on the minds of each member of the the deputation was decidedly favourable to the Commissioner.

There is no denying the fact that Mr Maxwell is a man that bears the stamp of character in an unusual degree ', but it was also seen that he/feels the weight of the great responsibility of the new position entrusted to him. It was evident to the observer that he is filled with anxiety to fulfil his duty to the country, according to the best of his judgment. Without any premeditation on his part to win the sympathy of his hearers, he indirectly gained their favour when he referred to the fact that, under the late system, political influences largely controlled the railway policy. The country must, therefore, allow the Board of Commissioners time to unfold their policy and prove that they are either developing or hindering the progress of the country. It will be seen from our full report of the interview with Mr Maxwell that he, more than once, alludes to the determination of the Commissioners to <nve paramount consideration to the settlement of the country. This in a word means that the original object e>f ihe railway system will be, as far as possible, reverted to. We have persistently contended for this, and if, as we are given to understand, the Government have given the Board explicit instructions to keep this purpose weii in -view in their operations, they have been mindful of their duty to the country and deserve the commendation of the people. We have said the result of the meeting at Hamilton was satisfactory, and in this conclusion we think our readers will coincide when they have perused the report of it in another column. The deputation gave Mr Maxwell to understand that they approached him on behalf of Waikato interests as a whole, and not on merely local grounds. The questions touched upon were important ones, bearing directly on the welfare of the colony generally, and Waikato in particular. The first was one affecting the policy of the railway system, and it can be gathered that whilst Mr Maxwell intimated that Parliament had still a voice in that direction, it is within the powers of the Commissioners to make very material changes, particularly with the view to stimulating settlement and assisting production. To attain this is to secure a great advance. Mr Maxwell met the wishes of the deputation, and_ the arguments adduced by them, in a fair spirit when they drew his attention to the necessity for a quicker train service with Auckland, reduction of fares on return tickets, and greater concessions in regard to frei"hts on long distances and small consignments ; and also with respect to the trucking of cattle. On the | whole, wo are glad Mr Maxwell ' emu and placed himself faco to face svjth us j nothing has been lost

whilst we hope much will be gained by a personal acquaintance with the Commissioner.