THE RAILWAYS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 108, 2 November 1929, Page 8

THE RAILWAYS

DEVELOPMENTAL VALUE

AID TO PRODUCTION

A discussion, on.the railway system and the question of motor competition was provoked in the Legislative Coiincil yesterday afternoon by the Hon. v. H. Seed, who moved that in the administration of railways special consideration should be given to providing facilities for the development of land" and thereby assisting increased production. Mr. Eeed referred to the country that had been opened up by the North Auckland railway and to the great improvement that had been effected in the land. Personally he had been doub*tful at the outset as to whether the construction of the line was justified. In tho construction of railways the developmental aspect and the probable amount of increased'production must be taken into consideration. Dealing with the question of motor competition with the railways, Mr. Eeed declared that the superiority of the motor-car was due to tjha fact that it" did not have to pay for track maintenance. If it had to pay all the upkeep of the roads it would not be in tho position to compete with-the railway. He felt very strongly that the railways were the backbone- of the country's prosperity. EXCESSIVE COSTS PEE MULE. The Hon. P. Slander seconded the motion, but differed with Mr. Eeed in respect to the North Auckland railway, remarking that a line which cost between £70,000 and, -£80,000 per mile had very little chance of ever paying. It was the cost of railways of that kind that made the railways.to-day a nonpaying proposition. If the North Auckland line had been laid through the centre of the peninsula it would have some chance of paying. . The Hon. J. B. Gow declared that fundamentally the railway was a road which was necessary for developmental purposes. It was monstrous to indulge in extravagant expenditure on railways, largely by political means, and then to judge the Department that was put in eharg'e of the system by the dividend results it produced on the capital involved. The Hoii. G. J. Garland said the railways would continue to lose financially unless tho system, was further' "written down." Olie was struck with tho fact that almost every line in the Dominion had at one time been more or less a political stunt. He advocated tho adoption of the zone system of charging, as a means of enabling the railway to compete 'with the motorcar. ; TOO MUCH (EAGERNESS. Tho Hon. J. Barr said that some of the railways that had been constructed had been laid through country that could never be developed. We had reached a stage when any further expenditure on railway construction should be very carefully considered before being proceeded with. There was too great an eagerness to -go on with railways at present when the whole transportation system was in a state of flux. Replying to the discussion, Mr. Eeed declared that the construction of roads would have to be put on a different basis in future. The day would come when they would have to be nationalised. .. ■ Tho motion was carried.