RAILWAYS “DYING”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29008, 24 September 1959, Page 11

RAILWAYS “DYING”

Reply To Acting

Minister

No-one would suggest that the railways in New Zealand should be abolished immediately, but the Acting Minister of Railways (Mr Mathison) and his Government should recognise the declining value of a railway system which will become an increasing burden on the taxpayer, according to a council member of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance (Mr D. C. Habgood) of Lincoln. In a written statement, Mr Habgood said that the Minister refused to believe that railways were a ‘‘dying industry,” and that there was no cheaper form of land transportation for moving bulk freight and passengers. [Mr Mathison said recently in an address at Timaru that he refused to believe that railways were a “dying industry.” There was no cheaper form of land transportation for moving bulk freight and passengers, he said.l

“Dying Overseas” “Are we to believe that the Minister is so badly informed that he does not know railway systems are outdated and ‘dying.’ Overseas, where railways have been established longer and operate more efficiently than the New Zealand Railways, they are ‘dying’,” said Mr Habgood. “In all the major countries, in spite of legislative protection, the railway companies, both private and State, have been forced into other forms of transportation or business in an effort to survive. As an example, the Canadian Pacific Railways operate ships, aircraft, road vehicles and hotels. This is true of almost all railway systems. Indeed, the New Zealand Railways Department operates ships, aircraft, and the largest fleet of road vehicles in this country. Soon we believe they will extend their shipping interests with the Cook Strait vehicular ferry. “The statement: ‘There is no cheaper form of land transportation for moving bulk freight and passengers,’ cannot be substan-

tiated in fact. It was proved to the Minister before his committee of inquiry, that goods could be transported over long distances cheaper by road than by rail,” said Mr Habgood.