HOW NOT TO DO IT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 89, 15 April 1922, Page 6

HOW NOT TO DO IT.

The Minister of Public "WorKs should really have a quiet heart-to-heart talk with his chief. Mr. Ooates is trying to frame a. natiotnal policy of railway and road construction. *o that the method of transportation better fitted to each sot of eircu/_?tn.nces will bo adopted.

and motor rrjad* will feed main railway*. The Prim, Minister, however, visits Waipu and tells the good people there that they may choose which, they will have, road or railway. Naturally enough they voted on the spot for a railway. It is ilue to the Prime Minister to nay that he promised a railway only when main lint's were finished, but we should doubt- whether even then the completion of the Waipu railway would be justitieA as a work of first importance, and at any rate his action in leaving the choice to a gathering that had had no propor opportunity of considering the question, wa> a serious blunder in principle. We have understood thai the : <|uestion of rail versus road was going to be threshed ont by the o.vpens of the department, in consultation no doubt with the districts concerned. Already these engineers have expressed them-: selves in favour of motor roads in place | uf branch linen as feeders for railways. l and no circumstance, hnve been adduced to make Waipu an execution, lf Waipu is going to lie given surh a choice will not every other ilistr'ct demand the same right': We are glad to see the Whangarei County C.juniil moving in this matter. The truth i.s that ihet Waipu branch line should never have' been started. To havf dissipated energy in this fashion whi'f the main north I line was still unfinished was eiiher a' piece of extreme stupidity or a bid for: political support. Even this year, in spit.- of Mr. loate-s" policy of concentration. £400(1 : s down to be spent on I this line. Ae-wding to the petition promoted by th./ Whangarei County I Council, the branch railway would in-I volve tho country in heavy loss, for the reasons that th'- whole goods trade of the district _ st. small that it ran now be handled by i.ne vessel, and that the railway would not lie able to compete , with motor transport. We hope that I these considerations will impress th-' l l people of Wa'pu. and that Mr. Ma«scy ' will realise that he has acted unwisely in I leading them, to think that they ale the | sole judges of what is best for the dis- i trict in a. nn-itter like this. Their isola- | Hon can best bo removed hv a good road.' | and this is n possibility of months, while j railway connection would even under! favourable, i-ireumstances he a matter ofl I )'"""• I —= !