JEALOUSY BETWEEN THE ISLANDS?

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 225, 19 June 1929, Page 10

JEALOUSY BETWEEN THE ISLANDS?

A WELLINGTON DENIAL SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY REPLY TO PRIME MINISTER The question of whether or not the South Island Main Trunk railway should be completed was again discussed at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last night. The action of the Chamber in urging the Government to make further inquiries before proceeding with the work was reaffirmed.

“You will have noticed,” said the chairman (Mr. E. Salmond) “that the Prime Minister scolded us for having the temerity to suggest that this work should not be gone on with until a report upon the profit-earning capacity of the line under present-day conditions was obtained. I think it would be a mistake for the Prime Minister to conclude that we are antagonistic to the railway. We are not. As a matter of fact, if it can be shown that the Hue will pay I think it will be found that we as a body are in favour of it. But as business men we can’t shut our eyes to the fact that experts report that the railway is going to cost New Zealand a lot of money annually.”

Continuing, Mr. Salmond said that the position as it seemed to him was that the Fay-Raven Commission reported in 1924 that it was desirable the line should be completed. The Railway Department then appointed two officers, Messrs. Fay and Casey, to go more fully into the question, and in 1925 they reported that the proposition was not sound economically. Undoubtedly, the Fay-Raven Commission were correct when they said it was desirable the line should be completed, added Mr. Salmond. Many things were desirable, but the point to consider was whether the incurring of additional expenditure was Justified. If the section were completed the taxpayer would have to shoulder a further burden of about £200,000 a year. Was it right that they, as business men, should shut their eyes to facts? “Now, the question of jealousy has been raised,” added the chairman. “I think it Is deplorable that there should be. any such thing as North versus South in a matter of this kind. (Hear, hear.) Possibly the South had cause to complain about the treatment accorded them in the past; I don’t know, but I do know that this chamber had no feeling of any kind when it urged the Government to make further inquiry. It is only right that we should pause and think, but let us for all time scotch this idea of inter-island jealousy. We are as every bit interested In the South as we are in the North. It seems to me that to raise the question of North versus South is simply drawing a red herring across the track. “If the Prime Minister has information that the line will pay, why does he not disclose it?’ concluded the chairman. “Why does he object to further inquiry?”