D.—2a

Wool. Undumped, per bale per mile (bale not to exceed 4cwt.)... ... ... ... 0 H Undumped, for each bale exceeding 4cwt., extra per mile ... ... ... 0 OJ Undumped, minimum charge per bale... ... ... ... ... ... 10 Double-dumped, per bale per mile (bale not to exceed Bcwt.) ... ... ... 0 2^ Double-dumped, for each bale exceeding Bcwt., extra per mile ... ... ... 0 0| Double-dumped, minimum charge per bale ... ... ... ... ... 16 Each loading or unloading done by the Company, per bale, undumped ... ... 0 4 Each loading or unloading done by the Company, per bale, dumped ... ... 0 8 Timber. Sawn timber, per 100 ft. superficial, per mile ... ... ... ... ... 0 Of Sawn timber, minimum charge, per 100 ft. superficial ... ... ... ... 0 7 Heavy timber, per 100 ft. superficial, per mile ... ... ... ... ... 0 1 Heavy timber, minimum charge, per 100 ft. superficial ... ... ... ... 10 Australian timber, rate and a half for each loading or unloading done by the Company, per 100 ft. superficial ... ... ... ... ... ... 04 A truckload is computed at 5 tons. A fraction of a mile is counted as a mile. A truck of firewood must not exceed 3 tons. Passengers. First class, per mile ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 3f Second class, per mile .... ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 2-J-Minimum charge— First class ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 . Second class... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 0 4 Return fares equal one and one-half single fares. A fraction of a mile is counted as a mile. Notice is also hereby given that a maximum rent or charge to be made for the storage of goods, produce, or merchandise shall be as follows : — Storage. • On all goods not removed within twelve working hours of their arrival, per ton per day 2 0 Demurrage. On all trucks not unloaded by the consignees within four working hours of thenarrival, per truck per day ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 0 No. 16. Memorandum by the Under-Secretary for Public Works for the Agent-General, London. Wellington, sth October, 1888. I have the honour, by direction of the Minister for Public W T orks, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 1089, of the 27th July last, enclosing copies of cablegrams which have passed between the Government and yourself relative to the exercise of running-powers over the Government railways by the Midland Railway Company, &c, and, in reply, to forward herewith, for your perusal, copy of a memorandum on the subject, setting forth the various objections to which clause 38 of the contract, as proposed by the Company, Was open. C.'V. O'Connor, The Agent-General, London. Under-Secretary for Public Works. Enclosure in No. 16. Memorandum for the Hon. the Minister for Public Works, re Midland Railway (question as to running-powers). Public Works Office, Wellington, 26th July, 1888. The clue to the position into which this matter has now got seems to me to be as follows: — In "The Railways Construction and Land Act, 1881," there is a clause (112) to effect that the Governor may grant running-powers over any of Her Majesty's railways to any company inaugurated under the said Act; and there is no apparent objection to this provision as it stands in that Act. When the Act for East to West Coast Railway was under consideration in 1884 the Government of the day therefore probably imagined that there could be no harm in incorporating this same clause into the East to West Coast Railway Act. The scope of the clause, however, when incorporated in a special Act applying to a particular railway, could, I think, be construed as being very much wider than would be possible under a general Act., In the case of the general Act, where private railways in all parts of the colony are contemplated, it would, I think, clearly be held that intention was to grant running-powers to each several company over that portion only of the Government railways in its immediate vicinity, and which was necessary to be run over in order to bring traffic arising out of the company's line to or from some port or natural terminus.

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