A WORD FOR THE RAILWAYS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 92, 20 April 1931, Page 6

A WORD FOR THE RAILWAYS

' (To the Editor.) Sir, —It is the usual thing nowadays to condemn our railways. No one seems to get deep enough and find a few facts which, may account for these annual deficits. Had the railways not been i constructed it is safe to say that nine-tenths of the land between Wellington and Auckland would still be in a virgin state. Palmerston North and such other inland towns would not even be villages worthy of a separate name. Thus has the railway added hundreds of millions to the capital of the country. Who is and has been deriving the benefits from that construction lam not concerned with. Sufficient that they have proved their worth. Few will disagree that it is population that makes railways pay, so a comparison with England—where the railways are also not paying—New Zealand stands out majestically. , In round numbers Great Britain, with her 44% millions of people, is served with 20.000 miles of track or 43 miles for each 100,000, and New Zealand, with Wz millions of rieople, with 3300 miles of track, or 236 miles for each 100,000. Viewed from this angle, we here in New Zealand have five miles of railway to every one mile in Great Britain. Truly a. wonderful service. If the'railways lost five times as much annually as they do at present, that would be an infinitesimal interestwn the capital that they have added to the country. On a similar basis Canada has 63 miles' and Germany 57 miles agains,t New Zealand's 236 miles.—l am, 'etc., • J. MILLER.