THE H.B. TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1912. THE COAST LOOP-LINE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 188, 24 July 1912, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1912. THE COAST LOOP-LINE.

It appears very probable that agitation will be renewed tor the ecnstiuction of a loop-line of railway to serie the East (.'cast countii between Masterton and Waipukurau. At one time this was a very live nioienieiit and the settlers were hopeful of success attending their I'flmts, but (Joi ei nment was only too really to take adi antage of local jealousies to drop tlie proposition. This statement is i-uiifii-jned b\ an interview with a prominent settler published elsewhere in this issue. Theie is no reason, houevci;, why the movement should not be given another start upon a fail- and square understanding . The towns interested in the agitation aie not to blame for their act urns in the matter. Their business connections with the coast settlements demanded that they should look out. for their own interests. In 1 ieu of the fact that Government v. as then overburdened with railway consti uction it was also reasonable that local opposition should be taken advantage of to postpt lie definite action. Tills, however. is all of the past anil, as before remarked, there is no reason why a fresh start could not be made on definite lines. There can be no doubt whatever that such a line would K’l-iir.- a big trad of splendid country that at present lies in a halfdeveloped state owing to lack of proper communication. Roads are bad and metal so scarce in many place: that the expen--c <,f e.-nstruc-tion and maintenance thrown upon the local bodies is too heavy a financial burden lor them to carri. Year after year settlers have

ploughed their way through mud to market centres and after ten or twelve years cf agitation the great majority of theui still '‘live behind the mud.” A railway would do much to alter ail this. Cheap meta) could he supplied for the roads and heavy fieights lightened. It would bring thousands of acre- of laud suitable for dairy ing into use. Much oi the southern end cf tin' proposed line is hilly ccinitiy. and in some •>!iiees rough and liable to slip, but ;i“ Ah. McLean has put it. there are no "barren wastes." What land cannot be used h-r cropping’ ano dairying can be for sheep and Hie farmers wi nlil lie lin/iighi within reach e.f the fat lamb market. The distances to be travelled and nature i t th: loads make it impossible tor tilt 1 r< to develop 1 mdustri under existing i-e.mlnions. Ar the present time a great deal of the coast wool aces sv.ny by sen and this method of ieai-hing ilie market j< by nc meal’s a satisfactory mm. Bed weather frequently prevents the vessels from pickiite up or landing cargo and mr.r’i vainr.ble t ; me 10-t. However

what ivc snv about t ’his cciinl ry. can

also be said about many districts m New Zealand awaiting similar facilities for development. The constru--ton of the line seems a sound business proposal and it remains to ho seen what can be done. There up pear to be two ways open for renewed agitation. Government might be asked to construct the line or t.’rsettlers might put forward a scheme of their own for approval. So far :ts the first proposition is concerned e have not much hope. Government already has its hands full of railwav construction and it is in duty bound to complete the main through line ■ before brunches are undertaken. This means a long wait and many of the settlers would not live to sc* the fruits of their agitation. If. however, hopes are entertained that Government would push on with .'ie line there should be a definite understanding amongst all concerned as to the route. It is no good.going to the Minister of Public Works w’th a scheme alive with local jealousies. The route should < itlier be fix- 1 before Government is approached or the whole question left to the en gineersAt the present time Pahiatua Weedville, Dannevirke, and Waipuk urau have al! got proposals for top ping the hack country for then special benefit, and these schemawill have to be sorted out before any good cun be expected front an appt- j to Government. The proposal tiri; ! the settle: s should build the lit:: i ibcmrelves is by far the most desir | able. In the past the ’ Libera]'’ Government would hear no mention "I private enterprise in connection with j I railway construction, but the nv ■ ' | Administrat ion may have a rip n ! 'knowledge on th’s question. In <1 : , I I first place the willingness of the j i ’lcrs to find tlie money for a lint i hetnseives may be taken as good | proof that it will pay its way. and m I he .-.ceond place it relieves Gotern | incut of the obligation to inenum | public indebtcdne«s by further bor I rowing. To refuse to take advuii.age of jn nate capital to p< rform j such work as railway t < nstructio.. i ’S pure folly. Safeguards can | provided for the resumption of such I lines by Government when deemed ■ neeessarv and in the meantime the , development of the country woul! j be progressing. As matteis standi lien Government has so many lines I <'ii hand that it does not know when ’ to turn for the money to complete | them. Paitiy vot.-s are passed eacl ' year for small branch lines wli’ch only enables snail’s pogicss. am’ the trunk lines are pinched to find i money for the branches. The corn , monsensc policy is to lei privait , capital put through the latter whik ' Government conceulrates upon thr > former. When the trunk railway sj aie completed nu.ney will be avail able to pm chase the branch line-, a 1 ' going coni-dH should it be advis . able to do so. ff the coast settlers I can place a M-und proposition be fore Government it should shind al fair ehaix-e of recognition and in such case the question of route would not bi* difficult, because if would be for the men th.it paid foi ■ the line to say where it :/ho.i)il be j built. If th<- agitation b. i.-vivcn we hope it will move upon thes< principles. There should be no in- : snpeiab.le difficulty in procuring the ’ necessary money . ‘