In the course of his letter written in reply to Mr Mitchell aiid published by us on Thursday, " Progress " makes theifollow ing incidental remarks about our railway management. " Our railway presiding genius," he says, " does not possess the " nous of a penny-gaff man. While " thousands and tens of thousands could " be tempted by cheap fares to spend a " frequent holiday ampng our green fields, " hill-sides, or sea-beaches, the Govern " ment policy seems to be to discourage "railway travelling, and hence the re T " turns therefrom seem to be in a dim " inishing ratio." This is a little rough, whether it is intended for the Hon. Minister of Public Works or for the Geueral Manager of the railways. We do not care to enquire into the estimate of administrative capacity made by 'our correspondent, but we, are at one with him in all he says about the character of the management. Mr Ormond told his constituents the other day that " the " most is not being. made of our rail " ways," and " Progress " is decidedly of the same opinion. There is one awkward fact that our railway administrators have to face — that either they or the control lers of railways in Britain are in error as ■to the fivst principles of railway manage ment.. The home system is to increase revenue by popularising the railways; — here the system is to make them pa^ by reducing the number of travellers and ; raising the rates. The railways at home being in private hands and worked with purely commercial aims, are conducted' with judgment, energy and invention. The expedients are endless, for starting people on railway journeys and making everybody *a traveller. "Here the rates are prohibitory to many of the population, and such as to make the prudent hesi tate about a railway" excursion as an ex travagance. We repeat; that if L this is. the right method, then the English method must be fatally wrong. But not to say that , the experience pit the old country, is likely to have led to rthe better practice, the results of our own en deavors ought to makie us' doubtful | whether we are' in ■-. the \ riglit irac£. 