SOUTHERN LINE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 10, 11 July 1929, Page 14

SOUTHERN LINE

POLICY DEFENDED

PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY

DISCUSSION Es T HOUSE

Facts and estimates in justification if the South Island Main Trunk railway wero produced at length by Mr. E. F. Healy (Waiiau) in the House of Representatives yesterday.

Defending tho action of the Government in extending thp railway line, Mr. Healy said it would open up some fine country. Yet they found an agitation being worked up in opposition to it, headed by the Union Company. He asked where the Marlborough district wtrald be to-day if it had not been for Ithe North Canterbury line put through "by Sir Joseph Ward. As a result of the action of the Liberal Government in opening up that country by railway, hundreds of people were now settled where there were before only ten or a dozen settlers. Mr. Healy described some of the fine limestone country the proposed new line would pass through, and said it would not need much further manuring.

Mr. P. Fraser (Wellington Central): "What size aTe the present holdings?" Mr. Healy said there were 920,000 acres of land available for closer settlement. Ho went on to refer to other areas in the vicinity of Blenheim. Mr. I). Jones (Mid-Canterbury): •'Yon can get at all that without a railway."

Mr. Healy differed with the interjjector.

The Leader of the Opposition (the Bight Hon. J. G. Coates): "But you have got a railway there." Mr. Healy: "We are isolated on account of our markets. We lose 4s on every sheep we send to the works, and 5s on every store sheep sent to Canterbury."

Mr. Jones: "Don't you get the Wei' lington price?"

Mr. Healy: "No, we don't." EXTENT OF SETTLEMENT-LANDS.

The speaker went on to quote figures to indicate the extent of aggregation in the district at present. He instanced individual-owned estates of 74,300 acres 114,300. acres, 52,000 acres, 29,200 acres, 38,000 acres, and 28,000 acres, ana said that no less than 515,800 acres were held by 13 people. Within from two to 30 miles of Blenheim, 147,339 acres of land, all suitable for closer settlement, were owned by nine persons. Between the Clarence and Conway Rivers there were 254,470 acres of pastoral leases, 112,634 acres of small grazing runs and 72,000 acres of large freeholds and 32,000 acres of small freeholds—all beautiful land around the Kaikouras. In another block, one man owned 121 • 577 acres, another 127,624 arcres, and other holdings were: 54,872, 77 350 52,000, ana 130,300. This land was' all beautiful country, although some of it was high country. Mr. Healy expounded on the virtues of Marlborough >s productivity, and said the province was capable of closer settlement. He had been returned largely because of his advocacy of the Government's railway and settlement policies. Mr. Healy wanted to know whether Mr. Coates was m earnest in sending Mr. Girling a telegram in the course of the last election stating that.the line would bobuilt.,He was afraid that tho telegram vras only sent to defeat the speaker, but it did not have that effect. The Leader of tile Opposition (tho that all the hon. gontleman has to do is to justify it on reasonable grounds. j>Jo one will then have the slightest objection."

Jid rtf TJ? nIS the first rail^y line that I have heard of for which a »^anee : shoot is required before it is Mr. Coates: "Oh, no." Mr. Healy said there was no agitation about the construction of some other lines. "An octopus is behSd the. opposition to the South Island Main .Trunk," he said, "and wo know who it is." . EASY CONSTRUCTION. «n^\f"^ n"et (^ingto* Central): ■But the hon. gentleman has no obiection to us getting full information?" Mr. Healy: "I am endeavouring to give it." He said that no route was an easy one for constructional purposes After quoting the stock statistics for the district, Mr. Healy claimed that the line would carry much of the sheep, cattle, dairy produce, and fish that was at present conveyed by other means to Chnstchurch. The lino would also be most attractive from a scenic point of .view. '

"What about the farmers who op. posed the line?" queried a Reform mem-

Mr. Healy replied that no importance was to be attached to the proceedings of a meeting attended by fifteen people: It was like the meetings of the Cham: bers.of Commerce. He would like to know how many attended those meetings and what were their vested interests. He denied that the Minister of Railways had travelled over the route of the proposed railway with the blinds of his car drawn. A Mr. Jones, he said, had entered into the discussion, a man who was more fortunate than many ■^**. ers of. Parliament in drawing over ±.1100 a year of the people's money. He wondered whether Mr. Jones would Cflr ?T cc his cx Perience against that o± Mr. Dawaon, a former railway man*g™' Z % was su PP°r.ti"g the project. _ Mr. P. Langstone (Waimarino): "One is an engineer, the other isn't." TRAFFIC AND FINANCE. Mr._ Healy estimated that the trip by rail from Christchureh via the pr<£ posed route, and across Cook Strait by steamer to Wellington would occupy ±rom 10} to 11 hours, as compared with from 11J to. Hi hours by the present oinTnn erVlC°- An a™rago of about -10,000 passengers per annum was earned by the present steamers, and it could be presumed that at least twotnirds of those would patronise the railway when it was completed. Mr. J. A. Nash (Palinerston): "Ques-

. The. speaker said that at least they could assume that the railway would carry 105,000 people a year between Wellington and Christchurch, and 10 000 between Blenheim and Christchurch •He estimated the annual revenue at a.200,881, and expenditure, including interest on tho cost of £.2,300,000, at ~23 7,256, leaving a satisfactory credit balance. The train fare from Picton to Uinstehurcb would be about £1 6s 3d.

Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont) complimented Mr. Healy on the very gallant attempt he had made to defend the railway. He was sorry to say, however, that he could not support the railway; he wanted a lot more information before agreeing to exnend £2,000,000 of tlfe taxfayers' £*£* (Hear, hear.) He regretted that Mr. Healy had attacked Mr. F. J. J on es the former chairman of the Railway Board, and said he hoped that no superannuated Public servant would be debarred from contributing opinions and advice on important matters. He could not agree with the United Party policy an regard_ to the South Island lijie. Since 1925-26 the losses on the railways had been progressively £280,000 £544,000, and £781,000 a year, while last, .year they had amounted to about £1,000,000. These losses, he said, must ■be a progressive one; he could not see that we were, going to pick them up.

He urged that before the country was committed to the South Island project a special and urgent inquiry should be made.

Colonel T. W. M'Donald (Wairarapa): "There have been two inquiries already."

Mr. Wilkinson said there had been a revolution in transport since then. We must be up to date. It was no good spending public money by millions in face of heavy losses year by year. The taxpayer would find the burden crushing.

The Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. B. Donald) said he believed the revenue from the South Island line would produce from passenger traffic alone three times the revenue of £37,000 a year that had been estimated. He had inspected the route, and there was a lot of land that could be cufc up to good purpose.