RAILWAYS PROGRESS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 100, 1 May 1925, Page 3

RAILWAYS PROGRESS

MINISTER SPEAKS IN THE

SOUTH

CATERING FOR ALL LEGITIMATE

REQUIREMENTS.

(EI mEQRAPH.—PRESS ASBOOUTIOS.}-

INVERCARGILL' 30th April,

The Minister of Railways (the Hon< J. G. Coates) to-day performed the cerei mony of opening thirteen miles of rail-i; way constructed, by the .Ohai Railway?! Board, which was the first body oH,' the kind ;to be incorporated'under theLocal Railways Act, ISI4. The line* runs from the main Government linef at Wairio through part of the Night*' caps district to Ohai and JBirchwood, ar centre of what promises;.'to be.'an ex* tensive mining industry,';.large;.' deposit*, of coal having been proved, in, the im-r mediate vicinity. .......... ,

A special train, conveying about 600N guests of the board, including the Hoiu J. G. Coates, the Hon.- G. J.. Anderson* and Sir Joseph Ward'/, Istt llriyel'cargilf. in the morning, and on arrival at Reed's Siding, forty-two miles from town, they;,l were welcomed .by! Mr. .'.£.. W. Roger* chairman of tho board,'.' • *

The Hon. J. G..,Coates*referred to th#,' occasion as unique . in/the" history of New Zealand, as it was the first line/ 1 constructed under the special legislation: of 1914, and its undertaking showed thaf confidence of the people of; the district! in itsr great natural resources. . The lino* thanks to the large increase in the coal output, had been constructed without tho special rats on the settlers being collected ,'.which .was. an..achievement, and) one- that reflected to the ■ credit' of-tho board, whose efficienc}vhe.recommended-,' Regarding the railways generally, '.the* -Minister said three factors operated' against the successful running of the> system during the past twelve months,; and at the end of the year there was a deficit approximately of £78,000" on a 3Jper cent, basis. During the year £80,000 had been paid, into the' Superannuation fund, and ,a. larger, amount -would bo required next year,' but."after that itf'' would gradually get'smaller.' The"sec->.' ond fact was that' the recent! Spidemiet resulted in a loss of approximately' half:' a million passenger fares and a drop im' revenue of . approximateljl.-. £100,pCO when compared with the revenue obtain^' ed for a corresponding period of laisti ] year, f The strike also caused a.loss ofr approximately £150,000. Taking ■ these-' factors into consideration; the railways'' showed wonderfuT improvement, and hahoped for much better improvement^ next year. The object of the. Depart-* nient would be to cater for every lcgiti-f male requirement of the community.,' He wished the new line a prosperous run, arid hoped' it would bring about wide industrial development in the dis-< trict.

The Hon. G. J. Anderson also spoke,, and referred particularly to f«afcty iit mines. A Bill was on the stocks, h& said, to make electrical lighting com-^ pulsory, and he hoped it would be passV ed next session. He also'- hc/ped the co-' operative system, which, was started onL the West Coast, would largely expand! and become generally adopted throughout New Zealand.

Sir Joseph. Ward addetj his congratu-* lations on the completvan of the rail» way, and in referring to the reintrodao-«' tion of the gold standard, said it would considerably reduce tile, rate of exchange, and thereby, mean increased returns font all.

Mr. F. W. Furkert hoped the ex., ample of the board in "Tjufiaing a rafl^way'out of revenue, and thus avokKse going on the market for a loan, would! be largely. o^l^,-33 suchJ self-reliancer was most desirable in New."Zealand.

After other speeches, Mrs. W. Macalister cut the ribbons, and, Mr. . Coates, amid cheers, declared the' line open., Mr. Coates -was presented with a silver? pick and shovel on a small silver raiV way line, monnted on a greenstone base* as a memento of (he occasion. The Monowai electric scheme will b«ft officiaJly opened by Mr..,Coat€s to"-moW row, and a banquet to celebrate hoiM events will be held at Invercargill bf the evening.