STATE FERRY SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 693, 18 December 1909, Page 3

STATE FERRY SERVICE.

DISCUSSION IN. THE HOUSE,

PRIME MINISTER SAYS "NOT A LONG WHILE OFF." The question of a State ferry service to Lyttclton was discussed at some length in the llouso of Representatives yesterday. . Mr. T. E. Taylor (Christctairch North) urged that this important service should \>e in tho hands of tho State. At tho sanio timo he thought that if anything was dono towards commencing a Stele ferry service the Government should not purchase the Maori, which ho said was run at a loss on most days of the year, and, though a very good boat, was of a class quite foreign to tho necessities of tus country's traffic. Ho hoped that if anything was ilnnc, tho Union Company would not unload the Maori on the Government. Sir Joseph Ward replied that tho TJnkm Company wcro averse to 6olling the Maori to tho Government and tho Government wai averse to buying it. Mr. Taylor: I am glad to hear it Mr. Jennings (Tiuunarnirai drew ettentwa' to Iho great disparity of tho fares bohrooa Onehunpa and Ne<\- Plymouth and between Wellington and Lyttelton. In tho former caso thi! double ]oiinu'}- was 2C6 miles, and in the latter caso it wns 356 miles, and yet tho return faros, until recently, had been 12s. more !? r 11 f . t V rn ? pp - l Hlnn for th ° laUcr top- H« thought that it was time that tho (Wnment htepped in and made this sort of thing Sir Joseph Ward replied that tho trsffio between Wellington agd Lyttclton was much greater than between Onchunga and Now PryIn reply to Mr. T. E. TayJor, Kir Joseph ?v A ""'i 1 !£ ct h -~ hid ™tt«Tto tho company asking whether it was prepared to self the lerry service to tho Government. The conw ?i!? y, J n - n dosiro to retain tho service. His view was that tho State should run one steamer- as a start, running "iaS ° n With ° nC ° f the com P an y'* Mr. Taylor said this was an important statement, and was the first dcf_iter ß __l ment mtt ,ic on the subject by the Prime MmistJM. lie was afraid that tho State was ha. coming object to the Union & 5S th I*"?- «• was a ro ™Sbe fact come i, lH ,y 7 VO . B, , rt L d - ay I,(ulo,lrs that •«- come to Now Zealand this year-ionoure thai meut--had both been given to gentlemen pronunantly connected with tho Union ConipiW and this, despite the fact that no honourehif been conferred upon a Speaker of tho ParlfeS f or ma - ny ycars - rl «'»s time that*' n f fl, Wa r mn|? S M wnrfrf'U to tho danful in the %£&*"»"" sh^nl/i^T 811 < Maßawa tu) thoneht that man, th pp?i &*& s nnbic ' ti,c *«* r.ili m ° ™"" 5 & sald tho Ta k><> of the it 3d Ifm "iP 1005, in to Ware' time it would be 40 millions, and in 20 veaxs vi StaTL,M e l C .° Untry ** ™f4s oftha? tS^fth y f a> £ rmte when nine" ~ rShr?™ n ° StatMwnod railvravs. It nas a matter of time wlron a. btato ferry service was bound to come. Pcorile f \rh fhm ta «M« to go from Auckland to the Bluff at a train mileage rS? It would cost more to make 20 inilestf Sil' steamer for the ferry service. On , throe dav» fW mil,ls and passengers betw«n .the Ho islands were anabl* to connect with the second express service. That was a position which should not bo allowed. ' pDS " loa In answer' to 'an interjection, tho Prime "' Mlmrtereid be,did not think"a State 'forry serMcc was n long way off job Mr. Buick (Palmorston) offered a final sucees-tion:-';Keop tho useful tTnion Companv, Yhich is something tho country c*a bo proud of, and get nd of tho Government." (Laughter)