The Sun WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1914. THE ALLOCATION OF THE RAILWAY VOTES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 112, 17 June 1914, Page 6

The Sun WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1914. THE ALLOCATION OF THE RAILWAY VOTES.

The preparations being made.bv-vari-ous North Island districts for a raid on the Public Works Fund should be a sufficient hint to the people of Canterbury to bestir,, themselves. Last year* the North succeeded in getting £312,000 -for three of its principal railways; the South got £155,000. The allocation was a tribute to the persuasiveness of North Island deputations, and to. their persistence in pressing their claims, on the notice of Ministers, but it was exceedingly .unfair and inequitable. The two most, important railway, works in New Zealand at the present time are the Midland and the Christchurch to Picton lines. The reason why they are. so important is because the, South, Island railway system is. operated at presept in three separate sections... These comprise the Nelson, Westland, and Can-terbury-Otago-Sauthland sections ; which must be worked independently at a great sacrifice of efficiency and a greatly increased expenditu'rie until such time as they are connected up by the completion of the Midland line, and the linking up of the lines that now terminate at Parnassus and Ward. The North Island newspapers are constantly publishing sets of figures to show that North Island lines are more profitable than South Island lines. The prosperity of the former- really' dates from the completion of the North" Island Main Trunk line, and was brought about by the great'increase in traffic that naturally followed the establishment of through railway communication between Wellington and Auckland. Precisely similar results would follow the linking up of the three sections of the South Island system. Wellington hpw: gets the lion's sl.are of the Westland and Marlborough trade; simply because Greymiouth and Nelsoji are not directly connected by,, j^ilthe rest pf : the South Island, and as the Wellington [people know very well it ..is to their |interest that the South" Island Main Trunk line should be starved jvhile [hundreds of thousands 'of pounds, .are I-spent on railway works in. the,, ■ North Island. The situation is one that ad.mits of Jto delay. Canterbury members of Parliament arid Christchurch business' men should take the railway question into' their serious consideration at •once. Titer should insist.on greater expedition befcng xhown in - t'he tunnel piercing operations in Arthur's - Pass, and thev 'should' demand a vote this year oi' not less than £IOO,OOO for the Main Trunk line. The contractors undertook to, pat, the .Arthur's Pass' tunnel through in about five. veji,rs,.'. .It.is. pow seven, or eight since the work comami nobody seems able .tp. form even an approximate of \yhen the, job, will b.fc done. Canterbury is entitled to spine i informatioi f i on the point, and, should also repudiate' with great 'Emphasis any intention of waiting till ,tlie tunnel is'finished for an adequate vote fo# the Christchurch to Pictpn.