DARGAVILLE LINE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 200, 14 July 1936, Page 5

DARGAVILLE LINE.

MR SEMPLE’S IMPRESSIONS

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 11. Describing the expenditure on the balloon loop as a scandalous waste of public money, the Minister ol PublicWorks (Hon. R. Semple), who has just returned from an inspection of the Dargaville lino, expressed his views in an interview about the starting and stopping of the railway on this section. He quoted figures showing the financial considerations involved in this undertaking.

“I had a very successful tour,” ho stated, “during which 1 had a look at the notorious balloon loop. I am amazed at the stupidity of ever building a thing like that. It cost £150,OUO to bund it, and it serves no real purpose.” Air Semple said it would only cost £50,000 to complete the line. With the money wasted on the balloon loop the amount spent on the line was £440,000. it was now only two miles from its objective. The country was paying £20.000 in interest on the capital spent, and since the line was stopped it had paid £130,000 in inter“Wliat we have to consider,” lie said, “is whether it would bo best to spend £50,000 and give a service, or pay £20,000 a year on the £440,000 we have wasted. It is the most stupid thing 1 have ever seen. The balloon loop should never have been put in. It was a scandalous waste of public money. The line should have gone direct. It should never have been stopped. If that had been done we would havo saved £IOO,OOO, the line would have been completed four years ago, and the people would have had a service. I am amazed at the blunder made.”

Mr Semple said that the question of finishing the line was one for Cabinet to decide. He would furnish the facts.