E._2a

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as a centre. All the produce from the Wairoa and East Tamaki goes by water or by road instead of by rail; and the position of some stations, especially that of Auckland, is exceedingly inconvenient. These are the principal objectiorrs that have been made to the line and the traffic management. In every direction testimony has been borne to the civility and courtesy of the employes on the lne. The objections are to the system, and not to the people who carry it out; and in our opinion the system is inherently bad. We do not think any good would follow an attempt on our part to reconstruct a tariff of charges, to suggest fresh time-tables arranged for the convenience of different classes of the community, cheap Sunday and excursion trains, cheap special trains, greatly reduced minimums and fares, railway tickets saleable like postage stamps in shops and stores, simplicity and cheapness with regard to parcel carnage, and attention paid to the wants and conveniences of the travelling public, so as to make the lines attractive. All these things, when the opposite system was found not to answer, a man of business would at least have tried. Mr. Passmore's remedy is still further to raise the charges, a course which, in our opinion, would be fatal, and lead to still further loss. A comparatively small amount of success would attend any attempt on our part to offer suggestions under the present system. To make the lines pay, two things we believe to be necessary, which will essentially change the character of the management. 1. The responsible head must be in Auckland on the spot where the business is to be done, and not at Wellington where it is not to be done. 2. The responsible head, instead of being restricted by rigid rules and regulations, must have discretionary power, and a personal interest in the success of the lines. We, therefore, unanimously, and without hesitation, beg to recommend this great change in the management of the lines. We recommend that some competent and experienced person should be appointed as manager at Auckland; that he should have the sole appointment of his own employes ; that he should be paid a low fixed salary, with commission on the earnings; that his commission should be small up to the paying point, and then large ; that his instructions should be—" make the lines pay." We are fully aware of the objections which will be at once raised to such an innovation into the wellrecognized official routine—namely, that the responsible head would make the lines pay, and earn for himself a high commission at the expense of the lines and rolling stock; that he would not maintain them in proper condition ; and that the latter end of such a system would be infinitely worse than the present. We think a Minister, if really in earnest, would find no difficulty, by means of proper supervision in one direction, and adequate securities in another, in preventing the possibility of any such disastrous result. As regards the engineering defects on the lines, we think that a great improvement would be made, and much additional traffic obtained (always supposing the present tariffs are altered), by removing the Auckland Station from its present position to a site alongside the Auckland Wharf, and reclaiming the ground with the earth left standing at what was Fort Britomart. The dressed stone for the sea wall is already there, and the whole thing could be done, in our opinion, at a moderate cost. The land made available by such works, if let, would more than pay the interest on the outlay, and the station would bo brought into the very centre of the business aud shipping traffic of the town. A central depot or receiving-house should be constructed at Otahuhu, and connected with the present Otahuhu Station by a branch line. The terminus at Onehunga should be extended to the end of the wharf, and additional station accommodation given at various points along the line, where required, especially at the crossing of the Great South Eoad at Drury. The two termini of the Kaipara line are too high above the water-line, and should be removed to lower levels. Witiress our hands and seals, this sixth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and seventyseven. Eeadee G. Wood. J. S. Macfaelane. Wm. Swanson.

By Authority : Geoeoe Didsbuey, Government Printer, Wellington.—lB77.

Price, 3d.]