RAILWAY POLICY

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 April 1914, Page 6

RAILWAY POLICY

TELEtilt AMS.

STATEMENT Li' -MR -MASSEY. VALUE OE LIGHT LINES. AUCKLAND, April 21. An important (statement was made regarding the Government’s railway policy when the persistency of the demand I'm branch railway lines \j as referred tu by the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. W. E. Massey, after turning the first sod of a branch lino from \\ hangarei. This' per sistcncy, he said, was particularly notice able in districts where dairying had been making rapid progress, and Mr Massey said he looked upon light lines with favour, one advantage being that in cases where the contraction of permanent lines was not justified the Government could assist the district in putting down light lines to pioneer the development of theii resources. But this should be done on tin understanding that when later on tin Government deemed it advisable to taki over the line at a valuation, opportunity of doing so must be given at some late’ time. The Government sent an engineei to inquire into the system of light linesas used in Belgium, and that officer had obtained a fund of information which would doubtless be of considerable use ii the future.

Mr Massey said that an all-important stipulation in regard to light lines was that no matter what condition regulated their construction, they must absolutely be of a standard 3ft Gin gauge. They might be as light as required, and they might run round hills to avoid cuttings, but they must not be of irregular gauge. Some districts were particularly suitabh for light lines, as, for instance, Taranaki, where the dairying industry was being developed so extensively. Arrangements were being made by the settlers thei-f to construct light lines and he (Mr Massey) thought that in the future there would he hundreds of such lines helping to develop the various parts of the Dominion.