MATTER FOR BOARD

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 64, 16 March 1934, Page 9

MATTER FOR BOARD

NAPIER-GISBORNE LINE

PLEA FOR RESUMPTION

VALUE TO DISTEICT

/The completion, of the railway line from Napier to Gisborne was strongly urged by a representative ■ deputation from the Hawke 'a Bay . and Poverty Bay districts which waited,on the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes), the Minister of Finance (the Et: Hon. J. G. Coates), the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. E. Masters), and the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. J. Bitchener) today. Figures were placed before the Ministers showing that the completion of the lino would greatly increase the wealth of the district and would also result inadditions to the "public revenue:, Criticism was directed at the report of the Government Railways Board that the line would not be an economic proposition. The deputation also presented a. number of reports prepared by engineers arid others in the district, and asked that these should be closely examined by officers of the Government. In his reply, Mr. Forbes pointed out that'work on the line had been stopped by resolutions of both Houses of Parliament on the recommendation of the Railways Board,, and according to Statute law steps could not be taken to recommence the work unless the board reported in favour of it. Ho said he would submit the reports to the board and ask that the matter should' bo special])' considered.- He would be •pleased to arrange for members of the deputation to meet the board if that was considered necessary. Introducing the representatives -of the districts that would be served by the . Njipicr-Waikokopu section of the line, Mr. H. M. Campbell, " M.P. for Hawke-'s Bay, said that there was a strong feeling in the district that the line should bo completed, and committeSß which had been. appointed to consider "the question had prepared complete reports which it was-desired should be placed before the Government's expert advisers. BENEFITS TO DISTRICT. ,The Mayor ; of Wairoa (Mi-. H.L. Jlarker) asked that the Government should reconsider its decision to stop the construction of the line. The deputation had come fully prepared with plans and estimates of the cost, together with figures showing the benefits that would accrue to the district if the work was recommenced. The reports, .he submitted, showed definitely that the railway would- enhance the value of the land through which it would pass fend would result in a greater return of revenue to:'the State. They invited the Government to submit the reports to its experts, who.could show the committees where they were wrong in their "reasoning, if they were wrong.; In. his opinion, the deputation had such a. strong case, that it would be extremely difficult "for the Government to resist It.;:. '" . " :: ■ "'.1.": ■ 'Support for the contention that, the line should be completed to Waikokopu Was given by the Mayor of Napier (Mr. b.' 0. Morse), who' said that a large sheep-growing area would be opened up if the .workwere proceeded with. He did not suppose; there was any place in New Zealand which, was so'isolated as the district which the-line would serve. His opinion was that the Government would ultimately realise "that it was. a fair thing that the lino should.be completed. The line would'be an advantage to the" rest of the system of the Dominion. Already a great deal of capital had been sunk ,in the project. They had every reason to believe that the reports that had been prepared were sound and would, bear the closest ■ investigation on the- part of experts. •.' . , ■:.. .-, ■ ' -. "A DEAD HORSE." . The ■ Mayor 'of Hastings (Mr.' G: A. Maddison) said that the money already expended on' the project was at present a "dead horse:" 'He reminded Ministers that 10 per cent, of the flocks of the.- Dominion -were pastured in' the area which; the railway would serve. Owing to the conditions under which stock was transported at; the present time, the farmers. weie losing as much as, os a head on sheep. - The loss on stock averagod 2 per cent, by death," and from 20 to 25 per cent, of the sheep: moved; were bruised andvinjurccT to'such an r extent that they .became second-grade lamb or mutton. The matter.was one of national importance, and ho believed tlie line could bernade a payable proposition from!": a railway-point-of view. •-■ ■ ■ " Mr. Campbell, extended an invitation to" the Prime Minister to pay a visit to the district- and gain first-hand information as to the needs of the farmers arid the people generally. In introducing speakers on behalf of the Gisborne section of the line, Mr. D. W. Colcman, M.P. for Gisborne, said that the district was isolated from the rest of the Dominion through lack of railway facilities. He had been informed by a member of the Railways Board that £4,900,000 had already been expended on the line, and whatever happened interest and' sinking fund payments had,to. be met on that amount. It was surely well worth while to spend a further £1,250,000 or £1,500,000 to complete the,line. " ■ : ' TURNING OF THE TIDE. The Maj-or of Gisborne (Mr! J. Jackson) said it was realised that economic conditions had forced the Government to cease work on the line, but now they felt that the tide.had.turned, and they were hopeful that the Government would be able to finance -the proposition. . • ■-. ' ■ The opinion that the decision of "the Railways.Board to stop work -was based to a large extent, oh erroneous facts and figures was expressed by Mr. W. Lissant Clayton, of Gisborne. The fact that the Taneatua line was a non-pay-ing proposition had been advanced by the board as a reason why the- work should not be proceeded with, but there was really no comparison between the two districts served. ..The'. Taneatua lino , served -408,000" acres carrying 650,000 head of stock," whereas the Gisborne line would serve a district of 2,000,000 acres, of the most fertile grassland'in ■the Dominion.' 'The present, means of transport available to tlie farmers meant.a loss of as much as £50- on every thousand head of stocky The railway line would also be able to" compete on a payable basis with road traffic. .. "' " , '•'. . Mr. Claude Williams, of Gisborne, said that any benefit that the farmers might: receive from the railway would .be immediately reflected in the towns, which wore naturally dependent on the prosperity of tlie farming community. His experience was that stock moved under present: conditions took as long as five or six weeks to recover condition. ' : .■•■■' Mr. Campbell: In my experience it. is longer than that. . . Mr. Williams said that during the months when the freezing works were closed, down the f/it stock traded was ■lost to Poverty Bay. It was impossible to shift fat cattle except by- sea, and then only at very great" risk and at very great cost. He submitted that the indirect benefit of completing the line would be very great. HEAVY In replying to the deputation, Mr. Forbes said that the decision to stop the work had not been made by; the Goy-

eminent, but by. Parliament. The Statute provided, that railway works must be * reviewed by the Hallways Board, which made recommendations to Parliament. Those recommendation's had to be approved by both Houses. That procedure had^ been followed in the case of the Napier-Gisborne line. In passing the legislation; the Government had been influenced by the fact that the- railways were losing a great deal of money, as much as £,2,000,000 a year, and it was felt that the taxpayers would resent such a huge loss. The initiative in regard to the starting or stopping of any railway project had to come from the Eailways Board, and he suggested that the deputation should place its case before the board. He would be prepared to ask the board to consider the matter and prepare a special report on the Napier-Gisborne Hue. The Prime Minister said that it had not been the wish, of the Government to close down, railway works. In fact, the decision of the board had come at a very bad time, as the Government, had had to find other work for the men who were displaced. He knew the wonderful potentialities of the Gisborne district, and. if he could spare the time—there were' many important matters engaging the attention of the Government at the moment—he would visit the district. '