“IN A STATE OF FLUX”

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 7, 3 October 1929, Page 10

“IN A STATE OF FLUX”

THE RAILWAY POSITION

MINISTER’S POLICY An announcement that ho proposed to complete the large works now in hand and, as financial possibilities and other circumstances permitted, review all other propositions for railway improvement, was made by the Minister of Railways (Hon. W. B. Taverner) in his annual statement presented to Parliament yesterday. The Minister said that he had paid much attention to the matter of new works which the Department had in hand, and which were in contemplation. All those in hand would, with the exception of the Palmerston North deviation, be carried to completion. These works were of considerable magnitude, and the sums required to enable them to be carried on had as far as the present year was concerned absorbed all the money that could be made available to the Railway Department for the purpose of new works of this character, and that position was likely to continue for at least the next year or two.

“As regards other works in the programme which have not yet been completed. I desire to say that I propose to review these progressively as time for their commencement approaches,” said the Minister. “I do not think it wise at the present time to make any final decision as to what might be done some years ahead, principally for the reason that the railway position is in such a state of flux as may/make a decision to-day more or less valueless in a few years. The correctness of this position has, I think, been already amply demonstrated. An outstanding example is the case of the Palmerston North deviation, as to which, however correct the decision might have been at the time when it was decided to undertake the work, there is not the slightest doubt that the conditions as they exist to-day called for a review of the situation, and justified the Government in its decision to stop the work.”