Russia.

Since writing the above paper, my attention has been directed to what Mr. Arnot Reid says in his recent work on Russia, about the management of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

"The whole country traversed by the railway is divided into zones of a certain mileage, and the charge for travelling is so much within each zone, without regard to the actual distance the traveller mar proceed. The zone system is by no means peculiar to Russia, but is, I think, carried out, unless my memory leads me wrong, in Austria and elsewhere with much success. It has been found to be an exceedingly useful system for developing the use of railways by populations that are new to railways, and, page 40 while I do not suggest that it is in any way applicable to Britain, it is a system that I should be inclined to recommend on any new railway in any new country."

As I understand this matter, on the 1st December, 1894, the Government of that country applied the Zone System to their railways for all distances exceeding 200 miles. For all shorter distances from their large centres the old system was retained.

The passenger revenue of the Russian lines for the previous year had been £8,061,75-4, but the Russian railway "experts" calculated that the introduction of the new system would reduce the year's revenue to £6,167,552; it, however, wound up with £9,183,333, or £1,121,579 more than the previous year, and £3,015,781 more than the railway experts calculated on.

I may mention that copies of my pamphlets were sent to the British Consul and Ambassador at St. Petersburg some years ago.

I hope my readers will take note that all this vast increase of revenue has been produced solely from the most thinly-populated districts of the vast Russian Empire. The same results took place in Hungary, where the largest increase also occurred in the most sparsely populated districts.

These indisputable facts prove incontestably that I am right in my oft-repeated statement that the Stage System does not require a dense population, but, on the contrary, will give the best results in a thinly-populated country. They fully dispose of the not sufficient population theory. I now say with the utmost confidence that if applied faithfully to our railways, it will increase the railway revenue by at least from £800,000 to £1,000,000 per annum, add very little to the working expenses, and give such an impetus to business and social development as we have never seem before.

It cannot be much longer now before this system extends itself to these colonies. Are we to be the first, or are we to be the last? I warn my fellow colonists, that if it is first applied in Australia, it will draw off a large proportion of our population, for a great demand for labour will speedily spring up wherever it is put in force.

Every member of the Seddon Ministry has endorsed this system, and it is now abundantly clear that they oppose it because they know that under it they cannot use the railways for political purposes, as they do now. For what the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon and the Hon. J. A. Cadman have said of the Stage System, see footnote to page 35.

Had this system been put in force, as it ought to have been, 12 or more years ago, how much of the curse of debt would this colony have been saved from, and how many broken fortunes and broken hearts would also have been saved. It is deplorable to think how much this country has suffered, through the selfishness and ignorance of its chief railway officials, the supineness, or worse, of its Government, and the apathy of its people.

page 41

Now that the position is fully proved, I again call upon my fellow colonists to do their duty in this matter, and see that, their Parliamentary representatives do their duty also, and insist upon a trial. I do not forget—I remember with feelings of deep gratitude—that many of our members have done their duty, and that on the last division the Government had to exert all their influence to prevent a trial of the new system being ordered, and they succeeded in securing a majority against it of only seven.

The Government of the "Great Liberal Party," although they have all vested that it ought to be tried, are the greatest enemies of the Stage System. They profess to be specially anxious for the welfare of the working man, but they tyke very good care they will not give him the chance of travelling the whole length of the Auckland section, from the extreme North to the South end for 4s, from New Plymouth to Wellington for 6s 1d, from Napier to Wellington for 6s, or the whole length of the Hurunui-Bluff section for 12s 8d.

This is what would really help the working man to obtain work, or a home; but he cannot have it, because for political reasons it does not suit the leaders of the "Great Liberal Party." Where the liberality comes in I fail to discover.