PUSHING ON OUR RAILWAYS.

Northern Advocate, 19 June 1920, Page 2

PUSHING ON OUR RAILWAYS.

The decision of the Auckland Railways League to follow up its representations the Northern Members of Parliament by sending a strong deputation to Wellington during the session is n good one. It has become generally recognised nowadays that if anything is worth having it is worth going after. It does not pay any community to quietly acquiesce in neglect of its interests. Governments and Parliaments may roundly condemn what they term agitation, but at the same time it is admitted that without persistent and effective badgering poor results must bo expected. The condition of the North Island railways provides a fine illustration of how the absence of push and determination has letarded progress. For many years gone by the development of the North Island has been allowed to languish simply because tho people have not been sufficiently organised to secure recognition. Canterbury on the other hand has given us a splendid example of united action and the conbined height of the province has made itself manifest in the allocation of public money. The North has complained and upbraided successive Governments but, never lias sufficient unity of purpose been shown to force compliance with district demands. The course proposed by the Railways League affords an opportunity for more satisfactory action. In the first place the members representing the North have hart placed before them the full particulars of district needs and it now only remains for the local authorities and institutions to back them up heartily and let Government see that no purely catch vote complaints are being made, but that the deputation speaks for the whole of the North, The meeting of tho League also wisely decided to confine itself to requests for the pushing on of the main lines—namely, from Auckland to Whangarei and Kaikohe, East Coast and Taranaki. Assistance will l>e readily given any other movement for progress, but the main object of the League will be to impress upon Government the vital necessity for completing the lines which are to assist production and feed the markets. The

mile-a-year rale of construction is no use to this country. Our railways must bo put through on eommonsense principles and not left to drag along year after year wasting capilal and blocking settlement. ' With a little honest activity it would have been possible to make connection with Whangarei years ago, yet apathy and neglect have combined to hold up construction until patience, is well nigh exhausted. Given adequate help the League may be able to put a new complexion on affairs and obtain justice for the North.