1.—9.

1886. NEW ZEALAND.

VAILE'S SYSTEM OF RAILWAY FARES AND CHARGES (REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON), TOGETHER WITH MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS, MINUTES OF EVIDENCE, AND APPENDIX.

Report brought tip 12th August, 1886, and ordered to be printed.

ORDERS OP REFERENCE. Extracts from the Journals of the House of Representatives. Friday, the 28th Day of May, 1886. Ordered, " That a Committee, to consist of ten members, be appointed to report upon the petitions of seven hundred residents of the Auckland District, and about five thousand persons from other parts of the colony, presented last session, on the system proposed by Mr. Samuel Vaile, of Auckland, for the future management of the New Zealand railways; such Committee to report within three weeks. The Committee to consist of the Hon. Major Atkinson, Mr. Gore, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Macandrew, Mr. Mitchelson, Mr. O'Conor, Mr. Ormond, Mr. Walker, Mr. Whyte, und the mover. Three to be a quorum."— (Hon. Mr. Richardson.)

Wednesday, the 16th Day op June, 1886. Ordered, " That the petition of John Muir and others be referred to the Committee on Vaile's proposed railway ■system."— (Mr. Turnbull.)

Fbiday, the 18th Day op June, 1886. Ordered, " That the Committee on Vaile's proposed system of railway management have leave to postpone bringing up their report for a fortnight."— (Mr. Mitchelson.)

Wednesday, the 30th Day of June, 1886. Ordered, " That power be granted to the Committee on Vaile's system of railway management to call for persons and papers."— (Mr. Mitchelson.)

Fbiday, the 2nd Day of July, 1886. Ordered, " That the Committee on Vaile's proposed system of railway management have leave to postpone bringing up their report for fourteen days."— (Mr. Mitchelson.)

Friday, the 16th Day of July, 1886. Ordered, " That the Select Committee on Vaile's system of railway management have leave to postpone makin ■their report for a fortnight."— (Mr. Mitchelson.)

Fbiday, the 30th Day of July, 1886. Ordered, " That the Railways Management Committee have leave to postpone making their report for eight days." — (Mr. Mitchelson.)

Fbiday, the Gth Day of August, 1886. Ordered, " That the Railways Management Committee have leave to postpone making their report for eight days." — (Mr. Mitchelson.)

EEPOET. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the system of railway fares and •charges proposed by Mr. Samuel Vaile, of Auckland, as set forth on page 1 of the evidence, have carefully inquired into the same, and have agreed to the following report: — Your Committee have taken a great deal of evidence regarding the practicability and the probable financial results of Mr. Vaile's scheme as applied to passenger-traffic, and the balance of evidence given by experts 'was unfavourable to it; while the evidence given in its favour seemed to depend largely upon speculative estimates of the probable increases of traffic, in certain proportions, over the various distances, and in the different classes. On the other hand, however, the returns furnished to the Committee by the Eailway Department, and included in the evidence—giving detailed particulars of the passenger-traffic, and the revenue derived from it, from station to station, and for the various distances—to some extent supported Mr. Vaile's contentions.

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