" CRIMINAL WASTE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 3000, 19 December 1935, Page 24

" CRIMINAL WASTE."

THE EAST COAST RAILWAY. ASSURANCE EE COMPLETION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, Wednesday. "No doubt many people wonder v.'liy I left Wellington so soon," said the Minister of Public Works, Mr. JR. Semple, in reply to a welcome at a civic reception in Gisborne to-night. "Ministers have a big job to do and I felt I should sacrifice my hoiidavs and prepare concrete proposals for submission to Parliament. 1 felt Gisborne was one of the first places needing attention. "My jo.b was to iiiul profitable employment for the men who in the past four years have been living at the lowest level of existence," said Mr. Semple. "When I examined the figures of the Gisborne railway line I felt it immediately demanded attention. Annually we pay interest of £140,000 on the work completed and since the cessation have expended £500,000. It will cost approxi-1 mately £100,000 to put the line into the same condition as when it was stopped. One year's interest bill would have completed the line from Napier to Wairoa. "Never have 1 seen such disastrous expenditure as that between here and i Napier. I felt it my duty to see immediately what could be done to prevent this criminal waste of money. The work is obviously of national interest, since all the people are contributing to the interest bill on a work which produces nothing. "During my present trip I have taken note of land which the Railways Board considers useless, but I am satisfied that with treatment it could carry many settlers. Tt is merely a question of sufficient fertiliser. Lands in the Taupo district. for instance, are nothing near the standard in this district, while the flats here are equal to the best in the Dominion. I would give a definite assurance that the £3,500,000 already spent on the line will not be wasted. Only £1,500,000 is required to complete the line." When the work was restarted the Napier-Wairoa section would be the first concentrated upon. When the Government completed the railway it would expect loyal patronage from the people and would not have cut-throat competition. 7:. must have "100 per cent lovalty" to the railwav.