RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1535, 3 September 1912, Page 5

RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT.

A SYSTEMATIC SCHEME WANTED,

The receipt of a letter respecting a proposed railway .between Mnstcrton and Waipukurau by the council of the Chamber of Commerce promptly brought Mr. Cecil Jones to his feet at yesterday's meeting of that body. He thought it was competent on tho part of the chamber to move that a comprehensive system of developing tho railways of the Dominion should be devised by a proper committee. He was sure that the Government would' favour such an idea. The whole question should be carefully studied, and a scheme brought down that would save all these agitations from each district. It appeared to him that tho belief was that they who shouted the loudest got a railway, without the general good of New Zealand being considered. He would suggest .that representations be made to the Government in that direction.

The chairman (Mr. A. E. Mabin), in endorsing what; Mr. .Tones had said, detailed the number of letters the chamber had received, asking its support in respect to various proposed railways, among them the Masterton-Waipukurau, the Levin-Greatford, and the Kawhia-Main Trunk lines. The general opinion held bv the chamber was that it wasrtime to'call for a halt, and give fhe Government a chaneo to'look round and to attend to its finances. Personally he held that it would be a good thin? if there was a comprehensive scheme of railway development. Mr. Leigh Hunt: "What would the composition of the board bp?" The Chairman (smiling): "Xon-poMi-cal."

A member: "A Royal Commission?" Mr. Jones: "On the lines of a Royal Commission." The suggestion was approved.