RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 641, 19 October 1909, Page 7

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

;: ( ; ,^ -NEW -POLICY. : ■ V >iSE.isfoIEi TO;GUARANTEE .THREE> : ::>] : ;.:.o;;'v#xo^.yi'Eß;-.CENT i : .!,:;; : R ,V:. ■ ;-a ''\';riS%;<'S r j™^ifinis:^ .::..■' rnado lan, important regarding' , a .new ii;':. : /:VV'.»^?t';-ljie;;.dMided' / ;iip>nvO;: , He^as.-iiddrtssiiig ■ :':, a !^°. t a# ■d?putatipn:;ttat; had.cbme iroin 'the. ■• i;sput;h;;{o:.urge |1 t)io 'of • the'.Lawronco- ;; J Roxburgh; railway---a : recently ■■■boSn. stopped' alto|ether;;because' it was" clear' ■ ; ™pt;-ft would'b'e\;4;,non-pßying;Jino.:' ~','-: ' .-}: y ; -j: 'said :fie wished : .toteH' them:.' -,Jpliunly i and;-frankly" that"the ■'Government'.'had i;,;_;noj\intea'tidn-''of ':'niaking'' i ' , railways. that-'wpiild :','] : 'i- n J$ W ;;tfnles3 : applicants'for'-lines' were pre- ,: ?'*"ss. bfP.': snow , -; their,; sinceri ty.'ibj£ to ;.:::pro^ent ; tte;flthor'Mines ; ;of'tho';c6untry; being <'■ :■ saddled ;:.>iUi:.'.unproductive ■ 'railways ■ • and ' : 'so ; ■ tho ; 'Gov-' "... :vW nor .e';;taey::.p l ,sure'"that ■; the' .return.' was'' n °t somg.to'giyo■aAe'asonabjeiresuit^. the Qov-. '■£ ■ cohW .t£_ ■ make rail- ; ,-. .'.Tfiyei'Vlt .was-.tiiei.po'sitioit in."corinection "with V: 71 'a%»i:tier'''railwa]r"jih'Oiasp : Ihaf' ,'■;■., wasinot .'peyitijf : ,tM had maiie'th'o'Government' '.:'■■• stop': this fyohk' W tho' "prfisent- p6int. : What . tho,-.Goyernmeiit'now'.'prdposed'. was'thafc the' .. •: : ■•line ,-shouW vbo tarried ■to .tho /Beaumont, but' •;., not;on to: Roxbutgli.'';-'This':'wotild giVe ian op/■.■portuiuty, of i^.ing"whether tho'!traffic , wotiW , ■ '..be.^außmented,to-such ; : aii extent that. ; it would i : ;;ff&4';i] earned-on'oto'v Eoiburgh; ■■ The' .-; .-toguref, posssssion '"• ,of.' tlie ' Gov■'j: eriimpnt' •; -. rfuito iv > different . froin". those v .j;; m, : .possession; 'of, ■ tho" deputataon r and' showwl ~; , t llat' «ho line , ,would,.not pay'.'. .'.There' must^be ;. something.^more;than' a;'mere .statement that ;-■ -...th* line. would:parj, and; the people'interested :.,,.'.would i-have-'.W, guarantee the- difference •if it -•.sM rat J>aj-;:(ip: ; to ; three ■ per 1 cent;:'.- For in-1 ,■etanee, , ' if: the;hne-.nas found to 1 pay only 2} ■'■P^.oent. ./then.'the psoplo:between Xawrence : and Beaumont-, would have.' to -make up the - extra half 'percent.KLookine.-nt;tho railway :,! ?ra ; !??W'' : ! ;ls - (t!| "* h « ditl n°t' .: ■ tmnS .the; Government should be' pressed' into .'■..; tna posnion,-of,; prpvidiag. railways' .that wero Vjpihg'ito. pay.less' than' 3 per cent, That amount . . was equal';.to,. the. interest; paid- on the ■- '"*"!'•";' "The -was anxious .to. holp .;,;■ the.:p«ople..i',: If .the;, people'interested,' in'-this ■ : .raUway ,had,-.faith-.and 'were, prepared to sup- , v.pqrt that,faith, Uh« Government was anxious' ,":-..t0 hslp:them.?:The:;Gov;einnStnt eipected : this ,-'■■'.... P,».™pn«t,;railway to -pay' 3 per cdnt., and they . .proposed.to-ftsk/Parliaiiient,tormato.such pro-- :■. as; would' enable any shortago ,-td .be' up;;and tho same, principle would ap:P*JJ to.-tiny.:other.'.sliiie.=aslwd'to : be constructed.' .:..,Mr.';Jas;;Allenjasiedv.what-'prinoiple -the ' : ITauway;■ was' to" bo''coiistrnptwl on;' was it to \ :;-be constro.ofed "on the present principle, or would ; .the .■•Government:permit '.the. line ,to be con- ■ ■ ;:B»'ieted.' upon':' absolute" Ibusinejs' priuciples- ''.'. . e ™«;.;the : contract,;or.jiiouie, other system in : . which the workmea'would be'poid proper,.'ret ,; reasonable,.tvagcsfi:.What the deputation said : - 'Wa?;that-ilhe i'Hh'o,:could-,be":.constructed for' . ."lef .'thhn'.jeMflO'-n mile. . .' . '•'•;. .: ■;;v:-¥j'/.;Kpdenok'.;M'K<'B,Kie: ,The EailwaV'De-. ••:paftmentiwould-not.let their,rollinz-stoek run ■on/juch a,line. > ; • •' ;: . .. -,'■'■• ■:.*.-.■ ' v Allen: : :VTh'ey. : -} fi t.'- rh<jir stcok Tun -ra ■ , in. Australia.' Ho . JJf™, ; whether 1 ':'nny.credit "ivonld , be given'" to , ,tflis;line.for'acHnsss a fsidcr to , other , lines. „, Mr. Arnold; If : -t)ie line to BrmTront paid, ',-. .would.yon',th«h'Carry:it on;to BoxbTirgh? ' .'""■Sir.;Josepli;Wsrd:"We -would then consider \ ; .tliat.-.,bnt we do. not..want''to'T)ut tho heavier :■ ;."-.Bttrf«n-en'-,tlii! p«eple- in th« first instance. , : ,: .-.;;■ ilr. Mdey' said -the principle should be mads ■general; throughout tue country, ,auu uot ap-,;,.puea-oniy-.-to.'.'pne/.line,; " ■:/ '/!v' -.'.-■ ■•.'-.% ~'-.-.bir, Josßpa..Vvard said tho general principle .-•,:. was; a matter iov, ■Parliament. ■; He.- nau. no .: jection 4p, make- it ttppiy. generally irom ono ~ end of-the- country, to .tue. other. Indeed, ho thought-it wodldbd.;a good thing.. Certain ... non-paying- lines'wore liaviug , an eliecton'tie , • railway ■.systani,as''.a-,who(e, and causing .an outcry, ana .criticism even seyond our owu cuun-;holi..lair,'.t«,-the 'railways as -•■„«, ynoie, ,He said .thp comparison with Western .Australia as' to tho cost. , of .construction ■waS f not.-a .fair -one,' as,: in- that State, the ,• country ; was.flat,,: an d,,.railwajs -wore , much <, t niak \' Zealand'-itvwaa'pos- .. sib e. that we -had, made, a lew mistakes here . ;.-'»ett;i;therev.but.;;it, could not.bo said that our ~...railvro«...fi! . u_be.en made at. an. excessive cost. '■ I 1 ■'"*.. first-.,they. had. laid- down 701b. rails, :a great doaUt, e.xpauditure.since incurred would :;■ not have; been iiecresaii, and .our system would ..: aave.-.beon a : ',vert>fceap'oue. As to how long :':',lff%^kf''tAWtrHct:-V,''':liae'te,Benu- .... mqht thnt :depended.Bpoft:,how much'money . the Government had. available in' one year. ;.:-.ihcT.: c couW not say how: long-it would , take ' ■ CO- UtUSn it. -:: ■■;.-■:■:'■'*. ; ' ... , . V r Jlr:-'Wqriton.'seid;lie,conM:shW 'the Prime ~ Mimstor, ; ho«'. to complete the line quickly. - •.Wt.thorn ido.one at a 'time. -" : ■.■'■•■ '■f^J o^ t l V i ar(1: V ">- well, Mr; Moritzson,' ..wt.iu ■■stou this , one. for live y6ar«. We are ■nil ;prppsred ,to, eacriilco our... brother's blood i.to.Bav.c.our pirn/"-The policy of the '"Govern-' :■;■■■s:!|...^^■p» t^■t I |>>t■■4.</m. o « G^,, si■ .-- ; ment , : hoiT:"you can carry .;,,-thw.v.Jiiie.-PH.■-.'iou..cnii.-.-meet ami-consider ■/.ami.afterwards.-I shall be. glad to, hear what NyoU'.lKlve^tosay.. ;.'...,, -.-..... :..... ; ■■;;■■■ ;.ahe-. depUtiition'-.met 'subsequently •' in " : the •;.■eftor.uiion,,-.■. Ihe -proceedings were private; H ... id- understood .they -will submit certain phages ■■;qf: the (lueslion'-.to the pooplu, interested before '.■:■; Ogain ;.,approaeUirtg '• the ■ Ooverainent; V ' '