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Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2698, 26 October 1889, Page 2

At the recent meeting of Railway Reform delegates in Hamilton, one of the speakers, referring to the complaints and representations made by isolated persons, or bodies, to the Commissioners, said that they were futile, and only produced the usual stereotyped official reply, There is no doubt of this ; the truth of the statement has been shown in instances of almost daily occurrence, Some weeks ago Mr Barugh, of Wartle Farm, who is one of the oldest and most experienced English farmers amongst us, labouring under a sense of the disabilities which the railway tariff brings upon his class, wrote to the Commissioners, urging upon them the advisability of reducing the high rates for the conveyance of manures. He pointed out that the soil of the Waikato could not dispense with the use of manures, and that farming in this district could not thrive without the use of artificial manures, and he thought j that freights should bear a reasonable proportion on the market value !

of produce, instead of being excessive and oppressive. Ho showed that in consequence of the high freights for manures and grain, coupled with low prices, many "Waikato farmers have to abandon cerealgrowing. This of course, would j have the effect of lessening production, reducing the traffic and entailing a loss to the colony. Mr Barugh expressed the opinion that if the department conveyed manures even free of charge, as an indispensable requisite for the cultivation of the soil, there would be a great gain, inasmuch as it would stimulate production, and thereby increase the traffic, the farmers being then in a position to grow largely for export at remunerative prices. The Commissioners, however, were unmoved ; no arguments, be they ever so clear and undeniable, can move the set official mind. The reply forwarded to Mr Barugh was in a few words to the effect that "very careful consideration has been given to the request for reduced rates, but they (the Commissioners) regret they cannot see their way to make the reduction applied for." When Mr McKerrow with his reputed sympathies for the interest of settlers and settlement, joined the Board it gave rise to hopes that a beneficial change in the policy of the Department wouldbe effected. Wβ fear it has been a vain delusion. A Southern journalist, writing to a friend in Auckland the other day, said "ho now thought that Mr McKerrow was overweighted by others." We begin to bo of the same opinion. There has been no change in the attitude of the Railway Board, though ample time has now elapsed for great modifications to have been made. When tho same old, intolerable methods are being , pursued without variations and constant friction with tho public, and valuable industries continues without ceasing, what course must tho people take to secure the needful remedies ? There is nothing left to be done but vigourous agitation and organisation. The wliolo colony must be moved to combine together to make railway reform one of the strongest planks of tho political programme at the general elections, and sufficient men, good and true, be returned to reverse the existing order of things.