MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1935. ANOTHER MILLION, OR SO.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 137, 13 June 1938, Page 6

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1935. ANOTHER MILLION, OR SO.

The construction of a railway tunnel, as long as the Otira, through the Rimutaka range, at an estimated cost of £1,000,000, has been approved by Cabinet. As the line through the tunndl will have to be electrified tliere will be an additional cost, estimated at £215,000, for electrification of the section between Upper Hutt and Featherston. These - estimates are merely tentative, for only preliminary surveys have been made. Nevertheless it is clear that the question of cost is not to be an impediment. "The job is going done," says Mr. Savage, "and the approaches will be started pretty soon." Moreover, "as if anticipating criticism on the question of cost, he has said that "there is more to be done than to make figures to show whether the railways are paying or not. You have to take into consideration the areas to be tapped and the' development of the country through which the railway passes." All of which is true, but dangerously true. It is far too easy for a Government, when its imagination has been captured by an obviously expensive project, to justify it in the name of "development."

The Kinmtaka tunnel project "was the subject of a report in 1923 by Mr. F. W. Furkert, then engineer-in-chief of the Public Works Department. His conclusion "was that though it might not be a crying necessity, it could be justified when funds were available. It would increase interest charges by £.40,000 or £45,000 a year, and would save about £45,000 a year. Its benefit from a social point of view could not be controverted. At that time, it should be recalled, the road over the Rimutakas was poor, and few people, even if they possessed cars, would motor over it. Many of them, if unable to go by train, would take the longer route via the Manawatu Gorge. Now the hill road is excellent, and no one who can motor will prefer the train. The road is used also to a considerable extent by service cars and freight trucks. Having alternative road and rail access via Woodville, the Wairarapa can never be isolated; in fact, its traffic and transport services are superior to those of some other districts of equal or greater importance. But to improve those services the Government is going to spend a million or so; rather, it is going to launch the project, and the main cost of it will fall into other financial years when, perhaps, another Government will be in charge of the Treasury. It is possible that the Government has before it official reports which put a better complexion on the project, but, if so, the public does not know of them. In their absence the public can only conclude, once again, that it is far too easy for any Government to begin expensive works and commit its successor to their completion, or, in- the alternative, cast upon it the odious duty of suspending them.