The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1929. UNREASONABLE JEALOUSY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 10854, 25 March 1929, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1929. UNREASONABLE JEALOUSY.

There is one porthih. of the new Government's policy concerning which there ought to lie very yenoral agreement. We refer to ■ tlio detcrinination to give. precedence in connection with the programme of railway works to extensions to main routes. Tt is, indeed, not surprising that the. proposal is popular seeing that it is most unfortunate that quite a number of short lines were, undertaken in the past widen, to-dav, are not very useful and most certainly a re. not profitable. In strict fact, there is hut little hostility in other portions of the Doiut iilion to the decision to expedite the work on the Napier-Wairoa section and put in hand in earnest the Gis-borne-Wairoa section. The general attitude, is, therefore., sound for the principle that additional long lines will he more helpful than, further short lilies as revenue producers. As far as can he made out, the only heart-burning that has arisen has reference to some concern that is being displayed in Hawke’s Bay lie-

cause it is feared that the Gisborne to ■ Wairoa section will be finished before the Napier-Wairoa section. Oil this matter. the Hawke’s Bay Herald has exhibited a lack of neighbourly good feeling by suggesting that the GisborneWairoa section might have been left over until the Napier-Wairoa section was nearer completion! In further comments, it says—

“Tlie value to Hawke’s Hay of ultimate railway connection with Wairoa' and the district involved on route and beyond is something to look forward to. But Gisborne, with the first portion of its harbour scheme, on the. verge of completion, is wide awake and will reap life lion’s share of the benefit if that end is connected up first. Hawke's Bay is justified in being a little jealous of Gisborne, and it is not unreasonable, we think, to ask Napier, Hastings and district to keep hammering away at the Government in order that the interests of those at this end of the line are not neglected.”

It So happens—and rightly so—the Government has, on the other hand, made it plain that it does not intend to deviate one iota, from its pledge to put the Gisborne-Wairoa section in hand straight away. The official news which appeared in yesterday’s Time's with reference to the finalising of the arrangements was, indeed, very heartening and. as might he expected, gave very great satisfaction. As for the Hawke’s Bay complaint, nobody in this district will, of course, .coinphiiii in the slightest degree no matter how much the Napier-Wairoa section is speeded up, so long as work proceeds merrily on tho Gisborne-Wairoa' section. With the . arrangements already made for the transference io the local section of workers from the abandoned Rotoi'ua-Taupo line, tho Government., it is satisfactory to find, is proving true to its word and, having put its hand to the plough (as it were), there is no reason to suppose that it wi]l turn hack, seeing that Sir Joseph Ward fully grasps the -importance ’ of making now railway works remunerative ms soon as possible.