RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 122, 22 May 1920, Page 12

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

NEW SOUTH WALES SYSTEM.

About ago Mr. P. E. Cheal, chairman; the .sAuckland Railways and Development League; was authorised to inquire as to the methods of railway construction -in New South Wales. A reply has been received from •the Under-Secretary of Public Works, N.S.W., which, although not very specific, indicates that work is entirely in the hands of Commissioners for constructing lines, but that any expenditure beyond £20,000 must be voted by Parliament.

Mr. Cheat remarked to a representative of the "Star" that he took that to mean a lump sum was voted by the N.S.W. Parliament for railway construction, which is left for the Commissioners to spend to the best advantage, but if the work contemplated to be undertaken exceeds £20,000 in estimated cost then that must be duly authorised by the House. Mr. Cheal considers that to be a long step in advance of the New Zealand system of running 18 or 20 bite of line about a mile-a year in disjointed and disconnected sections. He states the present method adopted in New South Wales is the outcome of the fact that railway construction in that State bad got to such a pass that it was found necessary to appoint Commissioners outside df political control in order to confine the expenditure to the most important lines. Mr. Cheal considers that should be the future policy in New Zealand if there wa ß to be rapid progress in railway construction to encourage settlement and increase production. The amount allocated to public works should, Mr. Cheal claimed, be based on a population and production' basis in a lump sum, which should be spent in the most businesslike way. All future allocations should he given on a two-thirds amount to the North Island, and onethird to the South as a "square deal."