780 TRANSACTIONS OP SECTION F. 



'Political Injluenccs — Disturbing Effect of. 



' The drawbacks in the management of the railways in the Cape that call for 

 removal arise from the extent to which, and the manner in which, the authority 

 of Parliament is exercised. They are twofold in their character, viz. : — 



' (1) The practice of public authorities, influential persons, and others bent on 

 securing concessions or other advantages which the general manager has either 

 refused in the conscientious exercise of bis functions, or is not likely to grant, 

 making representation to the Commissioner (as the ministerial head of the 

 Government), supplemented by such pressure, political influence, or other means 

 as are considered perfectly legitimate in their way, and are best calculated to 

 attain the end applicants have in view. 



' (Many members of Parliament act similarly in the interests of the districts, 

 constituents, or railway employes in whom they happen to be interested. It 

 is by no means unknown for the requests in both classes of cases to coincide 

 somewhat with a critical division in Parliament — present or in prospect — or other- 

 wise something has occurred which is regarded as irritating to the public or 

 embarrassing to the Government, and the desire to minimise the eflect by some 

 conciliatory act is not unnatural.) 



' (2). The extent to which the fictitious, and often transitory, importance which 

 a community or district manages to acquire obscures (under the guise of the 

 Colony's welfare) the consideration of the railway and general interests of the 

 Colony as a whole.' 



(During the earlier period of my railway service in the Cape Colony few things 

 impressed me more, coming as I bad from a railway conducted on strictly business 

 lines, than the extent to which the conduct of railway affairs was influenced 

 by certain conditions. Nor was this impression lessened afterwards when, in the 

 course of a conversation on the matter, Sir Charles Elliott mentioned to me that he 

 had more than once told a late Railway Commissioner, ' The Government is 

 powerful, but [mentioning the town and authority] is more powerful still.') 



' I do not regard it as open to doubt that the Colony as a whole has suffered 

 severely in consequence, the inland portions of the Colony particularly so ; and 

 that the need for a remedy is pressing if the railways are to be conducted as a 

 business concern for the benefit of the Colony. 



' Means of Securing Freedom from Political Influe7ices. 



' The necessity for the railways and their administration being removed from 

 such an atmosphere, and treated as a most valuable means of benefiting the 

 Colony as a whole, whilst not neglecting the interests of a district (but not sub- 

 ordinating the welfare of the whole Colony thereto), is pressing. That there 

 should be an authority to refer to in case of real necessity, where the decision or 

 action of the general manager is not regarded as being in the public interest, is 

 also clear. But it is equally manifest that the Commissioner or the Government 

 of the day, with political or party consideration always in view, is not the proper 

 court of reference. 



' Political Influences as affecting Construction of Neio Lines, 



' There can be little doubt that in the Cape Colony political considerations 

 have influenced the adoption of new lines and their construction — many, if not 

 most of them, of an unprofitable character — without sufllcient inquiry or informa- 

 tion, often with scanty particulars, and possibly contrary to the advice of the 

 officer afterwards entrusted with the construction and working of the line. 



' Proposals for Neic Lines. — Procedure recommended. 



' A material change is imperatively necessary in this respect, if only to ensure 

 the solvency of the Colony.' 



It is sometimes conceded that improper exercise of political influence may be 



