The Gisborne Times SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1935. MR. RANSOM AND THE FORSAKEN RAILWAY.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12533, 20 April 1935, Page 4

The Gisborne Times SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1935. MR. RANSOM AND THE FORSAKEN RAILWAY.

It was all to the good that,, during thu visit to 'Gisborne of the AetingPrime .Minister (the Hon. E. A. Hansom) Ithis week, the member for the district (Mr •' Coleman) should have revived its grievance over the continued lack of railway communications with outside districts. Mr. Hansom, on his part, made the best of a hard job in connection with Ins attempt to make out a convincing case on behalf of the government in respect of its action in closing down the Gisborne-Napicr railway construction works. In short, he maintained that tlio government had done right in delegating its powers in relation to new, as well as existing; railways to the Railways Board. This contention is one which will not command rwitlcspread support, nor does it deserve !to do so. As is well-known, the Railways Board has adopted the principle that a rail way that does not pay should - be stopped and that no new railway should bo built unless it shall be : proved' to ‘its satisfaction that it would -be a- profitable concern In this portion l of the Dominion, the feeling it ! Strong that'the principle is being much' : more' harshly 'applied in the case 0f : ‘ the unfinished railways than--in tlie case ’of''adnumber of, completed Hubs which havedbecome’ financial “white elephants.” Seemingly, it is l 'much 'easier ; to xulo that worton a line should be” stopped'than to ru.lo than an'existing' lino should he closed down ! But'the- delegation by the government 1 of the wholes of its powers over railways ’ 'to b a' Board amounts to a,‘ -wrong' state of affairs. As matters at present stand, the o-overnment is prevented from'provider railway facilities ' to any district even if it should' be willing ‘to Supply a State subsidy in' order to encourage further settlement. .Put in another why the purpose for which;- railways wdre originally built-to develop the Dominion-—is ‘ now ib he thwarted on

account of tho Railway Board’s policy of- insisting' that: Railways' must' 'sliovv •that they can pay their way unaided. Mr. Ransom, however, went further than we have already indicated, for ho said, whilst in Gisborne, that it was difficult to arrange for the complcti'dri-' of a hew railway when lines in other portions of 'the Dominion were riot being : adequately patronised. This, surely, must be held to be a very weak argument. In effect, it means that no matter how' necessary a new line might be—even if it had to bo subsidised for a, short period—it would require to remain in abeyarico if ralways in poorer districts wore not paying their way! In a further commentary on the matter, Mr.” Raiisorri placed much of the blame for the unsatisfactory financial position of The railways upbn the farmers, many of whom have transferred Their transpdrt business ;• to the highways.' He seems to overlook the fact that it should have • been realised by Parliament wlTen it authorised the highways systern that if good roads were built they would be freely' used I by motor transport services i If, at the same time, it 1 did not take reasonable 11 measures to safeguard the Railway Department’s business Parliament alone must bo held responsible. Plainly, the East Coast is sadly'handicapped to-day on account ,of neglect on the part of its residents' to apply sufficient pressure for railway communications when the going was good.