The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, JANUARY, 3, 1931. THE REAL FACTS MUST BE BROUGHT OUT!

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11404, 3 January 1931, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY. SATURDAY, JANUARY, 3, 1931. THE REAL FACTS MUST BE BROUGHT OUT!

The additional information* which is now available as to the evidence which was heard by the Select Committee of- the House in regard to the Government’s railway - construction programme is very important. It is quite clear what decisions the Government hoped the Committee*-would ’make* and all that, one can suppose is that Cabinet was very disappointed when the Committee, in preference to making any recommendations at* all on account, presumably, of the unsatisfactory nature of most or the testimony, indicated that it would require more time (which -it was not allowed) to enable it’.to undertake a more exhaustive enquiry. The Government, it would seem, began to expose its hand as far back as September, when it produced a- return known officially ns D—3. That, return, • seemingly, received scant attention on the part of members of the House, otherwise, it is certain, it would have been torn to - shreds: On this occasion we .shall deal only with tho Gisbornc-Wnikokopu lino (wli.ioh ds the most important line stopped by tho Government) and the .South Island M.T. line (which is tho major line that it has decided shall be proceeded with). The estimates as to the costs of these two lines can he taken as beyond question, but it is to be regretted that a similar viewpoint is impossible in regard to the revenue held to be probable in relation to each of them -As regards the.local section of the Gisborne-Na-pier line no' dissection is made in the return mentioned as to the -estimated receipts •-from each section. All that is stated is that the estimated revenue f-ojv the whole line is £60,876. Then an amount is indicated for the operating costs and interest on the outlay is showm To sum up, the position is thus worded: “Estimated total (annual. loss), exclusive of interest on rolling stock. £283,133.” When the return comes to deal With the South Island M.T. extension, however, everything possible is done to make out that the loss thereon would not be anything-like as serious as is* inevitable.- • The revenue is put clown at as- much, as £112,300' (although the line, is 44 miles shorter than, the Gis-boqne-Napier line '(and, strangely enough, -it is declared that, in that case, the interest allowance for rolling stock has-been included in the interest charges! The net result is then given''as an estimated loss of 'only £IOO,OOO. As we have saidrnothing is indicated as to what each of the .sections on' the' Gisborne Napier line tvas estimated' to pro*duco .in the way of revenue, hut the compiler of the. return, was, careful to explain* that, in computing the -probable, ‘revenue in regard to the South Island M.T. extension, the- basis taken -was . “tho assumption that 60,000 passengers per annum will travel. between Wellington and Christchurch by the ne\v route in preference to the Wellington - .Lyttelton (sea) ; route” ! And* now we turn to the testimony given -before the Select Committee 'by the Chief - Accountant in the Railways Department. He . repeats that the estimated annual revenue in relation to tho whole of tho Gishorne-Napier line would be only - £60,876 l and avers that the relatively low estimated revenue there.anentu would- he. duo .to:•(!).• the: low earning, power. of the coastal route between-.Wairoa and Gisborne, (2) tho :strong ■ sea; competition through ■ the ports of Gisborne,- Waikokopu, Wairoa, and -.Napier,- • and. (3), tho strong road - competition already ex- . isl/i'ng. -Remarkable is .-it not that it.: is claimed -that' the Southhlsland M.T/ extension will ■ he, able; to take ; traffic away from ■ its competitors' ..{which will include the finest ferry i-service -south of the equator) . whilst on. the other hand a- Gisbonie-Napier line ; would! ho' hopelessly;, outclassed by its rivals!, .The official in question : does,'. howoyor, . .Offer (as;, triis-t . worthy- an estimate'. of ..tho revenue (compiled An ,-1927) for the •Gisborne, Wairoa section (including the .Waikokopu section) viz. £19,110 per an-

limn., or ,omy about £6O pei—worl ing day I Right through' this , official’s ovidenee, no chance is missed of holding the project up- to condemnation and even the supposed threat of aerial competition at double the railway , fares is introduced- as an .argument: to he taken’-into' account against the line! T3ut our readers may study -his •< evidence, for themselves and, no doubt, they will be atuaied at the *caSe*.so...studiously and so unfairly worked up against giving Gisborne -the benefits of' railway communication;- If it' has suited members .of Cabinet- to swallow the testimony in question now, they should 'most , certainly he invited to say why they, rejected it -in. 1929 when they started' the Gisbdrae-AVai-kokopu line. ; The -evidence tendered by the Commissioner for Crown Lands was, on the other hand, comme.ndably fair. In particular, it .seems to this journal that the deputation should' call upon the Government to take the evidence of the Public Works Department experts who, apparently, have been glaringly ignored. They could, we-are suie, make out a much better case in favor of rail transport : than the Railway Department’s clerical- branch has attempted to do! Meanwhile,- work -on the line should, of course, he allowed to proceed: . ' •- t.