Concluding Remarks.

I should like to draw special attention to the fact that, during the whole of this debate, neither the Minister nor any of his followers attempted in any way to refute the statements made in the petition that gave rise to it, as to the manipulation of the Railway Accounts and the enormous loss that is now taking place.

In addition to this heavy loss, there must be added the amount credited to railway revenue as "Revenue received by the page 20 Railway Department from other Government Departments." This amount is not given for the years 1900 and 1901, but it is for 1902, and is stated at £71,593. This brings the loss for that year up to £1,007,095.

I challenge the accurate Mr. George Fowlds to disprove the truth of this statement, and I say that it is not to the credit of a city like Auckland that it should be represented by a man who, when he is confronted by a statement which so seriously affects its interests as this does, contents himself with the assertion that Mr. Vaile's figures are "never accurate." It is his duty to prove them to be inaccurate if he can, but he knows well that he cannot, and therefore deals in assertions only.

I may mention in passing that the Gazette returns for the first sixteen weeks of the current year show a further falling off in net revenue of £21,233, as compared with the corresponding period of last year. Let me again draw attention to the fact that throughout the whole debate there was no attempt whatever made to dispute my statement as to the serious loss made. It may, therefore, be assumed that the Department admits that my statement is correct.