ODIOUS COMPARISONS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15494, 21 December 1910, Page 8

ODIOUS COMPARISONS.

It is easy to understand why the “ New Zealand Herald ” takes selected lines, as well as selected periods, for its comparisons between the earnings of the North Island railways aiul the South Island railways. “The North Island main lines and branches,” which our contemporary compares with “the South Island main lines and branches,” include the highly profitable Welling-ton-Manawatu line, which contributes a very large part of the revenue of the system, and is being used as an argument for the construction of moro railways in the Auckland district. Of courso this line has no moro hearing on the “Herald's” building programme than the Otago Central line has—probably a good deal less—and if our contemporary were quite frank about the matter it would tell its readers that the Kawakawa lino spends more than £2 for every £1 it earns and that the Kaihu line spends 2-5 s for the same return. The Minister of Railways has declared that the North Auckland lines will not pay as much as is Gd per cent when they are completed and yet the newspapers of the northern city are quoting the returns front a line at the other end of the island a.s a reason why they should he placed in the very forefront of the public works policy. They write of the Canterbury and AYest ( oast- railways ns if they were a. constant burden upon the taxpayers, while as a matter of fact these lines are paying far better than any in the North Island, with, perhaps, (lie single exception of the Wellington-Mnnawatu line There can be no sort oi excuse for these repeated displays of narrow parochialism No one

disputes that tho North Island railways nit it tvholo aro doing better than tlm South Island railways an a whole, and tho peoplo of this part of the dominion do not grudge tho preference that is being given to their neighbours in tho work of construction, but the rejwtition of silly statements that have no foundation in fact must inevitably throw discredit on tho whole railway system of the country.