DIVISION WANTED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 258, 31 October 1929, Page 15

DIVISION WANTED.

SOUTH RAILWAY QUESTION.

TWO INDEPENDENT MEMBERS

FEAR OF HEAVY LOSS,

WELLINGTON, this day.

A warning that if nobody else divides ! the House of Representatives on the the question of the allocation for construction of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont), will do so was heard yesterday afternoon. Mr. Wilkinson declared that the line would cost two and a half millions, and that it must result in a heavy annual loss. Money was being appropriated though the whole route was not authorised. Mr. H. E. Holland (Buller): What about the Stratford Main Trunk railway. Will you divide the House of that? Mr. Wilkinson replied that. that line was almost completed, but he was afraid that while the present annual loss was £40,000 it would be larger when the line was completed. He could not help supporting it now, but had it been a proposed new line he would have carefully considered it before approving it. Members: Is that in your district? Mr. Wilkinson: It is not in my district; your sense of geography is deficient. A similar view was expressed by Mr. W. J. Poison (Stratford), who preferred an active road development system to costly railway extensions, which would be rapidly out of date. The prospect of the Stratford Main Trunk line paying was very remote, and if it was a new line, he would not favour starting it, but as it was nearly completed it would be ridiculous to stop at the present point. (Laughter from Labour members).