RAILWAY TO NELSON

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29366, 19 November 1960, Page 14

RAILWAY TO NELSON

Mr Kerr Wants Another Route (From Our Own Reporter) BLENHEIM. November 18. Mr G. R. Kerr, Social Credit candidate for Marlborough, believes that the Nelson-Blenheim railway is an essential for the development of the district, but he does not agree with the proposed route. Speaking near Blenheim tonight, Mr Kerr said that the railway should run up the Wairau valley. This would open up a tract of farmland 40 miles long. By using the Goulton pass, the railway would run close to the Nelson timber industry, which would eliminate long road haulage from the Golden Downs area. Though a bit longer than some of the other routes surveyed, this would probably be easier and cheaper, as it would be able to use the established levels and metal of the abandoned Glenhope railway. It would also tap the resources of Richmond, Stoke, Wakefield, and other places on the Wairau. Under a Social Credit Government the railway would be put through and the public would only have to pay for it once, said Mr Kerr. The area at present covered by the notional railway could be served by private enterprise, and Social Credit proposed to lift the ban limiting road haulage to 30 miles where rail haulage was available.

Mr Kerr said that he believed the establishment of a public relations office in Marlborough was a matter of urgency. It was necessary for a district to reach out and interest industry, and to show it what the attractions were. Marlborough could offer space for industrial expansion and housing, plenty of electric power and water, and one of the best deepwater ports in the Dominion.

The attraction of industry to Marlborough was of vital importance because it would give the youth of the district a chance to find gainful employment without leaving home. This would have the double effect of building more homes and businesses in Marlborough, and preventing the draining away of established families.

“We feel that some of the legislation the Labour Government promoted recently concerning control of the country’s finances was of a most disturbing nature.” said Mr Kerr. “This is so because it places control of the country’s finances completely m the hands of the Minister of Finance. This, one feels, is a deliberate move and not a reform ” He said Social Credit believed that control should be by the Reserve Bank acting as a national credit authority in a completely non-political way, whose duty was to present to the Government a complete balance-sheet showing production expenses and the availability of credit to liquidate them. The Reserve Bank would determine and inform the Government of the amount of credit to be placed in circulation. “This would enable us to have a balanced economy,” said Mr Kerr, “and to keep down the cost of living by means of subsidies.” To encourage the farming community to produce, farmers would be guaranteed their cost of production, overseas markets would be expanded, and relief would be given on the capital stock question.

Birching Of Delinquents

Advocated (New Zealand Press Association) . WHANGAREI, Nov. 18. ls remarkable the number of people who are advocating birching of juvenile delinquents to me at election meetings duri3 U ~ tlon said Mr D. N. McKay, National M.P. for Marsden, today. Mr McKay said he did not agree with birching. The birching proposals, he said, came mainly from the middleaged group, “who looked as though they had brought up a family themselves.”