OUR RAILWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 238, 8 October 1930, Page 6

OUR RAILWAYS.

What are the railways for? Arc they ■ means to an end or are they the end in themselves? After all the reductions in "overhead" are made and the railways have been reduced to the most efficient machine brains can make them the question is are they to be as revenue machines, or are they to be treated as means to settle the country, to increase production, to increase the number of settlers on the land and in the country towns? If,tha latter, then should not the viewpoint be that . the railways left after reorganisation should be considered somewhat in the same light as arterial roads? Whoever expected the roadfi to pay? The users, i.e., the general public, pay for making and maintaining, the roads out of taxes levied* in various ways. Having placed the rates of railway fares and goods on such a basis that the traffic is increased to the utmost, it is a question of policy if the loss 011 running and maintenance above receipts should not be a charge on the public revenue and not 011 the Ucers direct. " The, railways should be conducted for the producr tion of the greatest development and as a spur to progress and population and production. J. commend the thought to the Minister of Railways and to the members of Parliament who are faced with not only the railway problem but also the unemployment and the land settlement problems. GEO. A. GREEN.