Interesting Proposals.

The Council was prorogued on 12th December, 1868, and met again on 7th May, 1869. On 13th May, Mr. Knight gave notice of the following motion:—

“(1) That the railways be let for a term of years, and that tenders be at once invited so that they may be out of the hands of the Government by the end of the financial year; (2) that His Honour the Superintendent be empowered to let the above, with the consent of the Executive, for a term not exceeding five years, and the maximum rates of the tolls to be charged by the lessees be 30 per cent. lower than the schedule to the Railway Tolls and Management Amendment Ordinance, 1868.”

The first clause was moved accordingly, when an amendment was proposed that public tenders be invited for the purchase of the railways. The debate was adjourned, and, though the item stood on the order paper, the adjourned debate had not been resumed when the Council rose on 5th June. Meantime, on the 18th May, a select committee, of which Mr. J. D. MacPherson was chairman, was appointed to enquire into the management of the Canterbury Railways, with special reference to the traffic arrangements, and the sufficiency of the present buildings and rolling stock.

In their report, dated 1st June, 1869, this committee stated (in part) that there were too many officials, and that they did not work in harmony, often labouring at cross purposes, and they had too much of the spirit of departmentalism among them; that some of those who had been examined gave evidence of a want of that daily and hourly attention to the exigencies of the traffic, which it required. They also stated that the rolling stock was not properly utilised, trucks being kept standing under load for weeks and the storage charges not being collected. The committee made the following recommendations:—

“(1) That the railway and all its arrangements be placed in charge of one competent, experienced and responsible person, with full authority to manage everything in and about the whole line, subject only to the authority of the Superintendent; (2) that repairs to the rolling stock should be proceeded with immediately, so that it may be in good order before the next wool and grain season; (3) that before again employing the heavy engines on the South line strict enquiry should be made as to the necessity for doing so, as the evidence before the committee was very contradictory; (4) that, as soon as possible, additional warehouse accommodation be provided in Lyttelton, also that tenders be invited for the lease of reclaimed land in Lyttelton for the purpose of the erection of private warehouses; (5) that an addition be made to the goods shed at Templeton (6) that the practice of sending verbal messages from the stationmasters to headquarters, and vice versa, be discontinued, and that written communications be substituted.”

In conclusion, the committee expressed the opinion that the Government had not exercised proper supervision over the railway officials nor supplied them with sufficient instructions as to their duties.

On the discussion of the adoption of the report by the Council an amendment was carried:

“That the thanks of the Council are due to the Committee on the Management of the Railways for their report, which contains many valuable suggestions, but the Council does not concur in the last clause imputing want of proper supervision on the part of the Government, and that a copy of the report, and of all the evidence taken on the matter, and all documents produced be forwarded to His Honour, the Superintendent.”