RAILWAY EXTENSION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1230, 12 September 1911, Page 5

RAILWAY EXTENSION.

GOVERNMENT'S DIFFICULTY. TO FIND THE MONEY. A largo deputation, which desiied tho construcHoji of a bT.-anch lino of railway from Culwrdcn to 'IVairau elicited an interesting statement, from the Prime Minister yestwd ay morning. Mr. G. W. Forbes, member for Hurunui, introduced the deputation, and tliero -wopa also present the Hou. It. M'lCenzio (Minister for Public Wo'tlts), the noil. D, Buddo, Jlr. Massev, a nd several other members of Parliament. Statistics wero ivodueed to show tho area of firstxlass land which the line wou'xl open up anxl tho capabilities of the district as a ccnh-e. Ono speaker said tho lino would tap 150,000 ac.vs of first-ebt-ss agricultural and grazing laud—land capable producing half a, million bushels of grain per year. It "iras further represonfcr-d that the line oould bo constructed, at a cost of iMOOO 1 per mile. Sir Joseph said tho Government was in tho position of having to provide the money, and they could not give light promises to carry out this or any other public work. It was very easy for the member for the district to tell them that tho Li> adcr of the Opposition was in favour of tlie suggested railway, but it was- a d'.il'cavnt thing for the Government wl' 011 it had to provide the money. At tho railways which required to bo cc.u structed would cost between fifteen and twenty millions sterliug. Latterly the 'Government bad been prosecuting IS or 19 different- railway lines. The Govo'/nment was prepared to ask tho House '10 provide for a certain number of new 'railway lines this year, but in coming to a determination they had to be guided by their borrowing powers One of the strongest representations which the deputation had made was the fact that tho laud to bo tapped had been purchased by the Government for settlers with borrowed money. The Government had to tako into account the amount it could borrow and bad to seriously consider the propositions for expenditure which wero put before it. Ho had 110 hesitation in saying the suggested railway was desirable. At th/; end of tho year they would oomplf.to the Midland railway through to the Bealey, and when that was done this railway they wero, asking for -would be put under way, What they really had to do was this—aud 110 wished to be quite frank: was to reduce requests for about eight millions into ono million. The only alternative was to doubin the amount "tho country was borrowing. Tho whole point was whether that would bo a prudent tiling to ('.o. Tho Government, had told the that it was prepared to liorrow a million and a half, and with that tho 'Government had to provide for railways, roads, bridges, and telephones, so that it was not possible,to tell that deputation —or any other deputation—what provision the Government would make for railways this year until it had enormously reduced tho applications in hand. Tho deputation had it-; difficulties and so bad the Government- It was carrying out a very progressive public works policy, but it had to keep within tho limit of ijts borrowing powers. All ho could say was that he was sympathetically disposed towards the deputation's request. If they eould do it tills year they would go 011 with tho construction of the lino tho moment they had tho Midland railway completed to the point ho had indicated.

PRIVATE RAILWAYS. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. A request to place the proposed Bal-clutha-Tuapeka Mouth railway in the Railways Authorisation Bill was made by another deputation to the Primo Minister. It was represented that the district would bo prepared to guarantee a return of 4 per cent, on the cost of construction, estimated at between ,£90,000 and_ .£IOO,OOO, should the Government not see its way to authorise the line on these terms, power to construct a private lino was sought. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said that New Zealand's experience in connection with private linos and their subsequent taking over b,v the State had proved unsatisfactory. There were, several proposed lines which lie believed would return a satisfactory return on the cost of construction, and the claims of these, and among them the Tuapeka Mouth line, ivould be considered when the Public Works Estimates were being framed.