Grey River Argus THURSDAY, December 13, 1928. FUTURE RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Grey River Argus, 13 December 1928, Page 4

Grey River Argus THURSDAY, December 13, 1928. FUTURE RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Among: Ihe railways mentioned by the Prime Minister as calling I'or early completion are that between Nelson and the West Coast and that to bridge the gap on the East Coast of this Island between Ward and Parnassus. The claims of the latter are being urged in Canterbury on the seore that, while it may not be so greatly to local advantage, it offers the possibility of linking the railway transport system as between the two Islands, doing away with the need for change of carriage in the ease of passengers, or for breaking of bulk or delay in the ease of goods traffic. Such a conception, however, implies a costly ferry system between Pieton and Wellington, and in view of the tact that Sir Joseph Ward’s poli ey provides for about two and a quarter millions annual outlay on finishing the main lines, it is probably a more economical proposi lion to tackle the line designed to connect Nelson section with the main South Island system, and likewise Ihc Buller railway section. Criticising the proposals, Mr Coates has contended that they will require much more than two and a quarter millions yearly to carry out. but he may be considering such lines as the Ro-torua-Taupo railway, which is by no means so urgent as the connection with Nelson province and the Puller coalfields. The East Coast railway in the North Island has many critics, as well as advocates, and Mr Coaites has admitted that his hopes of its paying 4 per cent, on the cost are based on the most economical methods of construction, among which he includes the letting of labour contracts. His own guiding principle in railway policy has latterly been the recommendations of Sir Sam Fay and Sir Vincent Raven, which have not yet, at any rate, reached the stage of reproductivencss, although they have entailed a very large outlay. The opening up of new country and the completion of main lines must be the cardinal principles of New Zealand railway policy for years to come, be the academic objections of actuaries and financiers what they may, because it is only necessary to-day to note what a vast proportion of our chief industries depend on the railways, in order to realise how backward the country would have been without lines that were originally designed to blaze the trail for primary production. It is certain that bridging of the railway gaps in the Buller Gorge would mean a greater increase in the volume of railway freights than the completion of any other main line now under construction. The coal and timber resources to be tapped assure this. Nelson, moreover, has been waiting for a rail connection with the Coast ever since the sixties, when its people began the agitation for one. Certainly the space between Murchison and the Inangahua Junction will entail a relatively large cost per mile, but in the meantime there is a loss on the. capital that is sunk in the sections requiring to be connected up. Granted that a connection between Christchurch and Picton would be very serviceable, at least for passengers, it calls for a very large outlay, as only a liltle more than half of the distance has been covered, and the gap is a more difficult part to rail than the sections already completed. Tn view of all the possibilities, therefore, no line has a better claim to be quickly completed than those which are to link up in the Buller Gorge. It may be that othe; lines would open up more new country, but considering the mineral and forest resources involved, as well as the present isolation of two railway sections, the East Coast lines probably are neither of them calculated to be more beneficial from a nation al standpoint. In recent years there has been something done by roading to facilitate travel alorm this Coast, but the gap in the railway through the centre of the Island prevents the full advantage of coastal roading being realised either for tourist traffic or transport. At the same time, the completion of the coastal road,

southwards towards Otago would also mean a great addition Io the value of such roading of this nature as has yet been carried out, and would render the tourist traffic on this side of the Island trebly valuable to the Dominion as a whole. The time has come, in any event, for considering whether it is not wiser to extend the mileage of railways than to concentrate so much expenditure on centralisation measures. If the policy of line completion is carried on optimistically for a few years, it will undoubtedly give better ultimate results than a go-slow policy, for the Dominion is probably on the eve of very extensive development, which is essential for the absorption of increasing population.