The Evening Star FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1925. UPPER CLUTHA RAILWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 19019, 14 August 1925, Page 6

The Evening Star FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1925. UPPER CLUTHA RAILWAY.

Ax Upper Clutha correspondent puts on record an interesting fragment of Otago history. It appears that when the Hawea Flat was being disposed of tlio Government auctioneer promised intending purchasers that tlio railway would penetrate the locality within ten years. That was nearly fifty years ago. Yesterday Mr Coates told a deputation from the district that tlio railway, simply as a railway proposition, would not pay; that the area was developing very slowly; and that in the long run, but not in our time, the development would ho very successful. Circumstances alter cases. There is a world of difference between an auctioneer trying his best inducements to extract bids and a Minister meeting a deputation insistent on a now railway, spokesmen though both may be for the Government of the day. Yet there was probably far less extravagance in the auctioneer’s statement away back in the seventies than may now appear at first sight. To-day we are accustomed to speak of Central Otago as the land of promise. But it is accepted that the realisation can come about only by hard work and much capital expenditure. Half a century ago the people who knew Central Otago were equally convinced that it was a land of promise. In the interval there has been a story of vicissitude. Sir Thomas Mackenzie has succinctly stated the reasons for a declension which changed the face of the, wdiolo country in the speeches in which lie so frequently urged the regrassing of Central Otago as imperative—over,stocking, indiscriminate burning, and the rabbit pest. The redemption process is a toilsome one, chief reliance being placed on irrigation. That there still remains much to be done in other directions is indicated by a report tabled in Parliament yesterday, that of tlio Agricultural Department. In recording a distinct improvement in regard to the rabbit infestation of the dominion, this report makes the following exception; —“ln Otago, however, the commercialisation of the rabbit is proving a great deterrent to the efficient and thorough carrying out of rabbit destruction. This is deprecated on economic grounds, and it is suggested that the matter should be seriously taken in hand.” A former Commissioner of Crown Lands for Otago lias sought to impress this on the community, and, strange to say, his campaign has actually evoked opposition here and there in the districts sought to bo benefited.

It lias been suggested that our attitude on the movement for the extension of the railway from Cromwell up the Upper Clntlia Valley is in reality an attempt to retard tho development of the district. Nothing could bo more wide of the mark. All that we had in mind was that, apart from the spread of the irrigation system, the development of the great potentialities .of this district was not solely dependent on its penetration by the raihvay. The need for better and cheaper transport is obvious. Our suggestion was that the urgency being so groat, and governmental reminders of the necessity of economy in capital expenditure having been so frequent of late, it would ho in the district’s- interests to have a good road at once rather than risk further addition to the forty years’ unfulfilled expectation of a railway. However, yesterday’s deputation met with what may be termed a fairly encouraging reception from the Prime Minister. If, after long experience to tho contrary, the settlers still build on Ministerial promises, they have something to go on-nothing very definite, not even the assurance that the lino is classified among those “authorised”; for, in view of investigations of the route, tho change favored by the Public Works Department induces its permanent head to believe that it wall have to be reauthorised. But substantial satisfaction may bo extracted from tho Minister’s conviction that tho present road is unsatisfactory and expensive to handle traffic on. He admits the district’s urgent need of good communication, lie states that tho Public Works Department has collated a mass of information, both in regard to a road and a railway, and it is only reasonable to infer that a decision will ho come to quickly, and (hat ono or other will ho put in hand as soon as the decision is made. If tho choice is in favor of a raihvay w’o shall rejoice equally with the people of the district, for expert officers should ho in a position to come to a sound conclusion as between road and railway, and their verdict must he accepted without cavil. From what Mr Coates said yesterday, the next Public Works Statement is to contain the Government’s policy in the matter of developmental means of communication, and it is sure to be awaited with keen interest by Upper Clutha settlers. From tho point of view of capital expenditure, says Mr Coates, the road is the right thing, but from tho point of view of development tho raihvay is better. It appears to he accepted that for some time at least an Upper Clutha Railway could not possibly pay expenses. To protect the railway finances, now being so carefully shepherded, Mr Coates made passing reference to the recent Royal Commission’s recommendation that loss on new lines should ho homo by tho Consolidated Fund, “it being not unreasonable that some share of general State increment should go to the agency producing the result, where the absence of revenue is calculated to restrict transport facilities.” But the Minister also mentioned an alternative —i.e., that the settlers should pay double freights. This, if not a novel proposal, might be thought a somewhat chilling one were it not for tho assurance of one of the settlers, contained in a letter appearing in this issue, stating that “the highest imaginable railway freights would be trifling com--pared with the present rates over thirty-five or forty miles of road.” However, the Public Works Statement’s handling of tho rail versus road issue should put tho situation clearly. Perhaps it will explain why on roads very far from perfect motor transport is able to compete so succossfiilly with the ordinary railway tariff over comparatively long hauls in quite a number of different parts of the dominion.