RAILWAY BRANCHES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 10

RAILWAY BRANCHES

PROBLEM FOR BOARD

NORTH AUCKLAND CASE

EXTENSION URGED

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DARGAVILLE, This Day. A large and representative meeting of airiocal bodies, at which representatives also attended from dairy companies, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Harbour Board met Mr. H. H. Sterling, members of tho Railways Board, and departmental officers last night in a further endeavour to get completed the unfinished section of the railway system between Tangowahine and Dargaville on tho Waiotira-Donnelly's Crossing section of the North Auckland railway system. A largely signed petition asking for the completion of the line was also presented by the Mayor of Dargaville (Mr. F. A. Jones), who extended a welcome to the board, and stressed the point how the progress of the district was being retarded by the gap in the line, a matter of less than a mile and a half. The Hon. C. J Carrington, M.L.C., speaking in the absence of the Eight Hon. J. G.. Coates, the member for the district, presented a lengthy statement covering the cost of completion and the present revenue over the completed portion of the line. He pointed out that the gap was only one in a distance oi 590 miles from Donnelly's Crossing—the northern end of the line—to Wellington. His statement also made reference to increased settlement and increased production, more especially dairy produce. In recent years the production of butter-fat, stock, timber and kauri gum had taken place. Statistics showed that the district served by a railway was the best producer of primary products. North Auckland representatives of local bodies and others dealt at length with the hardships the district was undergoing through the non-completion of tho hne, and expressed the view that the completed line would be a payable proposition, instead, as at present,^ losing one. The settlers in the district were sincere in their desire to see tho line completed and would support it to the full extent. MB. STERLING'S REPLY. if 3? le^ Mr- Sterling said that, although he could not anticipate the reaction upon the minds of the other members of tho board of the representations made, nor could he be definite as to his own opinion until he had given the matter more thought and consideration, he desired to place before the meeting several factors which were very important. The board was just as deeply zmbued, as were the people of the district, with the idea that justice should bo done in the mat, ter. It had been felt that nothing else would have served, to enable the board to gam adequate knowledge of the position than that its members should visit the district and hear the. representations ot the sponsors for the completion of the line. The Railways • Board would take second place to none in its sincerity to do its best to arrive at a decision that would bo in the interests of all concerned.

It would have been far easier had the board recommended the completion of the line after the previous representations made by the district. " The board had investigated the circumstances very thoroughly and exhaustively at that time, and the conclusion that had been reached after very careful consideration had been that' it could not deliver any judgment otlier than that which had been delivered. Mr. Sterling said he desired to "ivo an assurance that the board was quite deeply, impressed with' the amount of work which had been already done on the line and the amount of expenditure required to complete- it, but it had to be appreciated that if the sum of £50,000, which one 'of the speakers earlier in the evening had seemed to suggest was but a trifling amount>or even half that amount—was spent upon tho creation of something which might be a recurring liability, the board reasonably must hesitate. A PROBLEM. The board was faced with a problem m the matter of branch lines, and in that connection there was laid down by Statute a definite principle that in cases where such lines did not measure up to financial revenue requirements, the board was required to give very serious consideration to .the closing down of the- routes. An investigation of these lines throughout tho Dominion had revealed that many had grown progressively worse and worse, and that the trafne systems had been duplicated and sometimas triplicated. In" the district now under review two methods of transport other than railways were operating—water and road—and it was not reasonable to expect that tho railway system should carry low-freighted goods because it was a national institution." Mr. Sterling said that for his part he had boon.disappointed somewhat in that he had expected that ruuch of tho freight transported in and out of the district might have been "for railway, and nothing else but railway." However, a decision could not be reached until the board had considered the position. The people of the district could be assured that judgment would not be .passed until the situation had been very fully investigated and the representations made subjected to a complete, .detailed review to enable the board to come to a decision that would be in the interests of the district and the Dominion as a whole. Mr. Sterling indicated his appreciation of the earnestness and thoroughness with which tho speakers had placed tho matter before the board. "Votes of thanks to the chairman and members of the Eailways. Board for attending to hear the representations were carried. Members of the board.left for Whangarei and the Waikato district this morning. ' --