RAILWAYS AT ONCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 186, 6 August 1914, Page 8

RAILWAYS AT ONCE.

AUCKLAND MAYOR'S FLAK.

.WOULD BORROW MONEY.

TO COMPLETE MAIN TRUNKS.

Presiding over the annual meeting of tiie Auckland Railways League yesterday afternoon, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. J. Parr) expressed the opiliiion that New Zealand should take the bold step of borrowing sufficient money to complete her Main Trunk railways without further delay, rather than continue her present policy of building over a number of years,-which meant that capital wasC lying-unproductive. Calling attention to the fact that the Government had only voted £322,000 during the last year against the £400,000 as-Iced for by the League Mr. Parr regretted that railway progress had been so slaw. Quite the most important railway project in the North Island, he said, was the East Coast Railway, which would open up a big agricultural country. In any other country than New Zealand that would have been carried through in two or three years. In America the railways went ahead of settlement. Here the construction of the railways was spread over a period of twenty-five years, during which time the capital expended gave no return. MISCHIEVOUS AND WASTEFUL. "To my mind a more mischievous and wasteful policy of railway making cannot' .be found in any civilised country tban exists in these young countries." continued his Worship. "Why is this? Because of the political machinery. Members of Parliament must have something for their own constituencies, with the result that doles are!given to Mr. Smith, Mr. Jones and otlW gentlemen tfor their particular districts. The net result to the community is that there is waste and inefficiency, and the settlement of the country is clelavcl. I think that it would be wise if the' Government would borrow sufficient money to carry through the Main Trunk railways of this country and .be done with it. (Applause.) It would pay handsomely. If we could - only get rid of the system of doles to the electors and" railway development proceeded on business-like lines, thin<B would be a great deal better." COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATIONS. The annual report of the Council recommended that v sum of at least (£200,000 should be voted to the East Coast railway, and that an energetic policy m the construction of the North Auckland Main Trunk Railway should •be urged upon the Government. To this line at least £150,000 should be allocated instead of the £100,000 voted Jw £"' ' The rep ° rt a!so suggested that the sum of £150,000 should also be Voted to the Stratford-Okabukura line. Moving the adoption of .the annual report, Mr. Gerald L. Teacocke, the retiring enairman, said that the recommendations therein were drawn up ,bef«- e the European crisis arose and he therefore recognised that probably for some time to come it would not be possible to go upon the London market for loans. -Mr v G. Bagnau seconded, and the report -was carried The first of these affirmed the principles of borrowing a sufficient money to complete, as soon as possible all mam lines now in course of construction which .bowed a reasonable prospect of profitable result. A second resolution stated that in the opinion of the meeting the expeditious prosecution of the East Coast railway was the greatest national importance and urged the Government to concentrate an expenditure of at least £200,000 during the next twelve months upon the sections between Waihi and Ma.unga.tawa junction and to push on construction from both ends. NORTH AUCKLAND LINE. Tlie next recommendation was that the North Auckland line should be voted the sum of £200,000—tbe sum suggested in the report being amended—and work pushed on with all expedition to McCarrol's Gap. With regard to tbe Stratford line, tlie meeting recommended a vote of £150,000 to be concentrated upon the sections traversing good country on cither side of the Tangarakau Gorge, postponing work upon the last-named section until the Ohura Valley is connected with the Main Trunk lino a'j Okahukura. Other resolutions recommended that a further section of the North Auckland line as far as Kirikoponi be authorised, and the route determined so that local bodies might be guided in planning roads; that the projected PaeroaPokeno loopline be included in the next authorisation bill, and work commenced this summer; a*id that the Pukemiro branch line should be extended beyond its present objective a sufficient distance to make the line far more useful to a setMed area of agricultural country than if it stopped at the coal mines. Mr. Kennedy Hill brought forward a resolution requesting the Minister of Public Works to postpone work upon the Otira Tunnel and employ the men working there upon the East Coast railway. The mover declared that it had always been necessary to stop it and work would have ceased there, but for party considerations. The motion found no seconder, however, and fell through. The Council was elected for the ensuing year, with the addition of Messrs A. B. Robertson, Bart Kent, R. W. White, Powell, and Colonel Holgate.