The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. WEDNESDAY, JUNE S, 1910. THE PREMIER AND THE RAILWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 134, 8 June 1910, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE S, 1910. THE PREMIER AND THE RAILWAYS.

Tor the cause that UkZ3 assistance. For the wrong iliat needs resistance. Far the future in the distance. And the good that we com da.

As an appropriate introduction to our comments upon Sir Joseph Ward's defence of Government railway policy last night, wo may heartily congratulate our Chamber of Commerce upon the success of its annual gathering. It is now an understood thing that the Chamber of Commerce dinner is more or less of a political function, or at least that the speeches delivered are largely political in character, and" last night's banquet was no exception to the general rule. At the same time, the officials of the Chamber usually make the most praiseworthy endeavours to prevent anything like a violent display of political partisanship; and there was certainly no attempt made last night by any of tlio distinguished public men present to misuse this opportunity for political purposes. The Premier himself must have been impressed by the unanimity of feeling exhibited by speakers differing so widely in their political and public views as Mr. Slassßy, Air. Gunsou, and Mr. 1,. J\jyi?rs; and, in our opinion, the thanks of the people of Auckland are due to all these gentlemen lor the energy and courage with which they pleaded Auckland's cause last night. In providing such an opportunity for a public statement of Auckland's claims, and for a direct personal appeal to Ministers for justice to the North, our Chamber cf Commerce has done splendid service for us all; and we hope for the sake of the city and the district that the renewed vitality and vigour that this extremely important public organisation has recently displayed may be accepted as a happy omen of activity and success for the future.

As wo Jiive indiaited, the Premier found himself eallud upon to make out a. case for the Government against the CL-itlcii.ru of a united band of Aucklandors who, irrespective of political prejudices, are at one in their conviction that the North hvL3 not yot received anything like the consideration that 13 its just due in regard to the allocation of the l'ublic Works fund. We may grant that Sir Joseph Ward put the best possible face upon .the position from tile Government point of view; but Uie weight of obvious and palpable facts was too lniie-h ior him. The people of Auckland are not interested in hearing how much has boon spent on the North Island during the past three or four years. Incidentally, we may remark, the Premier ha.s no eort of rijjht to credit the Xorth with the cost of tl'e Manawatu line; for we had all the benefits of transport and transit from the line before it was purchased, and the -country hud no interest to pay. But this is merely by the way; the point is that without railways the country cannot be settled and caunot progress, and in regard to railway construction T?e aro still far behind the South, and Government i≤ doing very little to make up our leeway. All that the Premier said last nig'ut about the public expenditure on roads and bridges and public buildings and -telegraph lines is entirely irrelevant to these all-huportant f:icts: That the North Island has only 1132 milee of railway, against 15-12 miles in the South Island; that the North Island is more populous, wealthier and more productive than the South, and supplies the larger share of the public revenue; that the lines already constructed in the North Island paid, during last financial year, 4 1-5 per cent on capital cost, while the lines in the South Island paid only 3 1-3 per cent; that the net revenue for the previous year was 4J per cent on cost of opened lines in the North Island, and 2J per cent in the South; that the revenue return per mile on the- North Island lines is 40 per cent higher than the return per miile on the South Island lines; and that, in spite of the f,aet that by far the most valuable areas of land in the Dominion still unopened and unsettled are located in the North Island; -and that, as w<3 have shown, the North Island railways have proved themselves to be better revenue-earners, and therefore far more profitable investments for public money than the South Island ]j nes in spite of all this, when the votes for railway construction came before Parliament last session, the sum of £449,500 was voted for the South Island lines, and- only £257,50Q for the North.

There is no possibility of explaining away these facts, or of evading the inference that the people of Auckland and their representatives have heen compelled to draw from them. We can sec no reason why Government, in dealing with public expenditure, should not be guided largely by the commercial and financial principles on which successful business men arc accustomed to administer their affairs. What would we think of the conduct of a, business man who, having α-choice between, two.' forms--of one,- ct~-wnjclr^,iliad^^4je^dj;

proved itself 'to 'be a safer, sounder and more profitable arevenue-producer than the other, deliberately j put his money where it would do him least good and give him a smaller return? We aare quite prepared to admit -with Sir Joseph Ward that, regarding our railway system as a whole, we must go on, laying down lines to promote settlement and open up the country, even if they fail to return a high rate of interest for years to come. But when we come to compare the claims of the two rival investments—when we remember that the South island is already opened up and settled and railed and roaded, relatively speaking, to its full capacity, that the North Island is relatively 'Unopened, that it contains by far the 'best unoccupied land in the country, and that its railways have already proved themselves to be far more profitable to the whole country than the Southern lines—when we consider all these things, we may well ask ourselves in wonder by what logical fallacy Ministers have been misled, or by what motive