The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1923. A WISE DEPARTURE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LIX, Issue 9577, 31 July 1923, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1923. A WISE DEPARTURE.

i'be decision on the part oi' tlie Government to let a contract for me ion.-tract.o:l of one of the sections of tin- East Coa-.t -Main Trunk Railway between Waiiti and Tuuranga, marks an important depart me in regard to this Dominion's present railway construction policy, which Inis been in vogue for about a quarter of a century. It is, we feel, a move in tho rigi.t tlfteclion, for, as the Minister fur Public Works points out, it will settle, 0.-ie way or the other, the validity of criticism to the effect that the present system is not only far too slow, hut also far too costly. The construction of important sections of railway in this Dominion ha?, in the past, unquestionably occupied excessive periods. As a consequence the Elate has lost very heavii.v, seeing that much capital has, in this way, become tied up until the route could be thrown open to traffic and become iutei est-eai nine;. It lias always been a subject, for complaint that railways arc laid down in this Dominion at

a slower rate, and at much greater cost than in other countries. Portion of the trouble has, of course, been that the amw.nt or capital available for expenditure on railway construction works cadi year has been limited and the wot its have been scattered over a large number of districts. In any case the system of building railways which ti.o Goverifnimt inherited from its piedcuessors must be held to be wrong in principle and economically unsound. Dear construction work remains costly i'or all time: it leads co unnecessarily high rates ol li'cights and fares. Rut, quite apart from that aspect ol the matter, the point that requires to he made is this: that. •i' a railway is needed anywhere, it should lie provided in the shortest possible period Now is the day of rhe steaiu navvy and other laborsaving railway onus! ruction plant; the. day of the slur.ol and the barrow is, happily, past . It is beyond dispute that the key to the whole question of carrying out an important undertaking 'is that the contract should fie let to a firm which knows its business thoroughly and lias also a high reputation for straight dealing at stake. We are pleased, therefore, to note that, in connection with tho wink under consideration, tenders are to bo invited fit-m overseas, as well as from within t.l:e Dominion, but it will be a great pity if an American linn should be permitted to secure the contract. There need be. no regrets, however. 11 the eon tract should bill to an overseas British firm, which would tiii-n send to this country a thoroughly modern construction plant. The proposal may prove to be. of particular advantage to the people ol this district. What wo would point out in this regard is that it so happens that Gisborne is blocked in. so lar as railway communication is eon.eerned, by very difficult country both to the north and the south. On tho projected southern route, for example, the next section to be tackled—the Makiira section —includes heavy tunnelling work and,. in addition, a stretch of the country to be passed through, is treacherously; unstable. Then,' again, on the northern route the next section—Motuhora to Opotlki—.is so difficult that, as yet*, the Public Y.'orks authorities are still undecided :;s to which would prove the. best possible of a number of suggested routes. As it happens, the Minister for public Works is not yet satisfied that it is the better plan to give out. contracts in respect ol heavy construction work, seeing that there have been some failures in this regard in the past. But he must hear in mind that there arc good firms of contractors: as well as fit ms not so noli qualified This journal lias consistently advocated that the. two local difficult sections of railways should bo done nndei tilt, contract system. Let it he hoped, therefore, that the , Katikati-Ye Puna section will be put, through to the great advantage of the Dominion under the contract system. Mr Coates may then see the wisdom of having the construction of Dm Motuhora-Opoliki section and the Makura section expedited in a smiilat manner.