RAILWAY POLICY

Evening Star, Issue 20194, 6 June 1929, Page 8

RAILWAY POLICY

SOUTH TRUNK COMPLETION CHALLENGED AUCKLAND " UNEASY ” tSPECIAL 10 188 ‘ SIAK.’J ' AUCKLAND, dune 6. Hi an editorial on the railways today, the 4 Herald ’ says: The declared and apparently unwavering determination of the Government to proceed with work at full pressure outlie South Island Main Trunk Railway has aroused so much public uneasiness that it is rapidly becoming the leading question of. the day. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce asked the Premier yesterday whether full economic investigation had been made. It received the reply that unless railwayconstruction work in New' Zealand was to stop -altogether, this lino would be completed, and that the Government relied on the Fay-Raven report as justification . for its decision. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has passed a resolution asking the Government for another inquiry and report; the Otago Provincial Council of tho Farmers’ Union is moving in the same direction. Thus the 1 protests and the anxiety cannot be traced to Auckland jealousy over expenditure in the South Island, for Wellington .also is concerned. They cannot be dismissed as an exhibition of North . Island feeling against South Island work, for Otago has joined in the chorus. Tho fact is, there is a growing realisation in the country that the official data in support of the line are meagre, and' of limited application, while the oi-licially-recorded case against it is comprehensive and detailed, and takes lull cognisance of every phase of the project. The Government ignores all tjiis. The Premier says the lino will pay, and oven appeals for nothing more than further inquiry fall on deaf ears. The Government showed its firmness in- stopping the Taupo lino and Palmerston North deviation; it will show its firmness in proceeding with this one. Even if it was firmness iu the . right direction with tho first two (a point open to serious question) it most certainly is not, on the known facts, with respect to the third. When these experts (Fay-Raven) spoke of tho South Island Main Trunk hue, no subsequent investigation could overthrow their verdict. When they spoke with equal emphasis of the Palmerston' North deviation, inspection by a nonexpert hand of Cabinet Ministers reversed the whole position. It would be comedy if it were not so serious lor the countrv. The outstanding feature of the Fay-Cascy (1925) estimates, endorsed by M.i F. J- Jones (former chairman of the Railway Board) showmtr how' heavy an additional charge the South .Island trunk line may add to railway costs, is that they arc not answered, or even discussed, in llw Fay-Raven report, by which the Government is stated to be guided in its decision to prosecute the work, .they are brushed aside by Sir Joseph Ware), who will not even admit that they justify the request for lurthcr inquiry. No wmiidcr the public mind is growing ever more uneasy about tho lailway construction programme. especially over the chief item—the South Island Main Trunk line.” . EVEN A MORSEL GRUDGED i Special to xait ‘ Stab.’] CHRISTCHURCH, June 6. In Urging the completion of the South Island Main Trunk Railway at last night’s meeting of the executive of tho Canterbury Progress League, the president (Mr J. E. Strachan) moved teat ;i copy of a report presented, to tlio executive on May 6, 1925. be sent lo the Wellington Chamber of Comerce, together with a letter expressing the* hope that the information in the report would remove some of the doubts in that body’s mind as to the advisablncss of completing the line. Seconding the motion. Mr I- W. .Freeman declared that tho North Island was not happy unless it was getting the lion’s share, and it did not wish to spare even a morsel for the South Island. “What wo ask is only our just due,” he added. “1 think this criticism of Hie Prime Minister is iu awfullv bad taste.” Mr G. M. Hall said he did not sow the point in leaving unfinished gaps m a railway. He added that the most important line lo he finished was tho Gisborne line, which was more important even than the ChristchurchPicton line. ’ Gisborne was the most isolated place in New Zealand. _ Tho Chairman said the "W elhngtoil Chamber had decided to ask the Government to make further inquiries, and obtain a report on the profit-earning capacity of the Hue under present conditions, before incurring expenditure iu additional construction_ work. The executive decided to print abridged copies of the report, and forward them to the Chamber of Commerce, members of Parliament, and others interested. it was further decided to express appreciation of the Prime Minister’s announcement that the railway would bo completed.