Railway Construction

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6812, 16 January 1929, Page 6

Railway Construction

Probably the chief bone of contention in the repast Sir Joseph Ward has spread before the public will be his railway construction policy. “ I have decided,” he announced die other day, “to increase the loan from £5,000,000 to £7,000,000 for public works, including railway construction and improvements and hydro-electric schemes. In these days an increase of two millions to the public works expenditure is not a very alarming appropriation, but many wellinformed practical people have come to regard the multiplication of railways as an uneconomic proceeding. While the construction schemes of fifty odd years ago have been dragging their costly way, more-war less slowly, towards completion, other means of transport’ have been evolved, and to-day it is a moot question whether rails and steam or roads and petrol serve the better the needs of the present generation. Already the “ unpaying lines ” are costing the taxpayers half a million a year and the new Government should examine the position closely before adding to this drain upon the resources of the community. On the other hand, it must be admitted that half-finished lines bringing in practically no revenue are a dead-weight burden cn the taxpayer, and their completion would at least lessen the loss.