NAPIER-GISBORNE RAILWAY

Northern Advocate, 31 January 1936, Page 4

NAPIER-GISBORNE RAILWAY

There have been some extraordinary developments in connection with the construction of | the Gisborne-Napier railway line. The work, on which something like three and a half millions sterling had been expended, was summarily stopped by the Railways Board on the ground that the line, which would require another million and a half to complete, would never pay its way. On his accession to office, the Minister of Public Works, Mr R. Semple, .traversed the route of the line, condemned the stoppage of construction as great folly, and declared that the Labour Government would complete the work—on condition that the people of the territory gave it their patronage. This declaration created much criticism, it -being considered by many that the Railways Board must have had good reason for stopping construction of the line, and that Mr Semple, with only a cursory examination of the situation, must be wrong. This week there has been made the surprising statement that the Railways Board advised the late Government that it would recommend the completion of the line provided it obtained a monopoly of the transport in the territory. Mr Semple and the Railways Board seem, therefore, to be of one mind, but it »is past understanding why the Railways Board's change of,front was not made known. The Minister has provided quite a lot of "copy" py threats of what he would do if the board tried to prevent him from completing the line, but i* would appear that Mr Semple has merely tilted at a windmill, in view of the fact that the Railways Board apparently suggested the line of policy laid down by the Minister. Whether the Labour Government will be prepared to suppress the lorry in the interests of the locomotive remains to be seen, but it should be possible to bring about judicious co-opera-tion of road and rail, should the line be completed, which is to be expected.