Mr. Napier (Auckland City)

is also right. When before the Railways Committee in September, 1901, I was not allowed to ask the General Manager any questions, nor would he ask me any. There was simply an assumption page 4 that the Department "knew all about it," and that I was merely wasting time. Mr. Ronayne's Report on my statement absolutely proves one of two things, either he did not in the least understand my proposal, or that he wilfully misrepresented. (See Parliamentary Paper I., 6B, 1901.)

Mr. Napier voices the opinion of most of the Colony when he says that the cost of trying the Stage System would bear a very small proportion to the amount that has been spent on experimental legislation in other directions. He also states the truth when he says that this system (in a much spoilt form) has given remarkable financial results in other countries; and let it be remembered that the financial aspect of the question is the only one our Government has ever attempted to deal with. No one has ever denied the social benefits that would be derived from the Stage System.

Mr. Napier also thinks that I should have done well not to have written on other subjects than the railway question. In saying this I am quite sure he is actuated by the most friendly spirit, but he probably does not remember much about the earlier stages of this agitation, which commenced twenty years ago. Up to this period I had steadily resisted every effort made to induce me to enter public lite, and when I invented the Stage System 1 offered the idea to several of our leading public men, both in the North and South. Not one of them took the least notice of my letters. I believe they all thought me raving mad; indeed, some of them have since told me so. So I had to tackle the task myself.

Then what happened? The Department at once opposed, and their friends soon began to say, "What is the use of listening to Vaile? he has gone mad on the railway question." "He is simply a railway crank." "Did you ever know him do anything else? he can only talk about railways," etc., etc. So, in self-defence and for the good of the Stage System, I thought I had better deal with some other subjects, just to convince the public that I could think straight on other great questions.