VALUE OF RAILWAYS.
DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY. It is the usual thing nowadays to condemn our railways. No one seems to get deep enough and find a few facts which many account for these annual deficits. Had the railways not been constructed, it is safe to say that ninetenths of the land between Wellington and Auckland would still be in a virgin state. Palmerston North and such other inland towns would not even be villages worthy of a separate name. Thus has the railway added hundreds of millions to the capital of the country. Who is and hag been deriving the benefits from that construction I am not- concerned with. Sufficient that they have proved their worth. Few will disagree that it is population that makes railways pay, so in a comparison with England—where the railways are also not paying—New Zealand stands out majestically. In round numbers, Great Britain, with her 44i millions of people, is served with 20,000 miles of track, or 45 miles for each 100,000, and New Zealand, with one and a half millions of people, with 3300 miles of track, or 236 miles for each 100,000. Viewed from this angle, we here in New Zealand have five miles of railway to every one mile in Great Britain. Truly a wonderful service. If the railways lost five times as much annually as they do at present that •would be an infinitesimal interest on the capital that they have added to the country. On a similar Canada has ti3 miles and Germany 57 miles against New Zealand's 23'3 miles. J. MILLER.
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Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 23
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262VALUE OF RAILWAYS. Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 23
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