THE THREE MILLION “LOAN FOR RAILWAYS ”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 15 June 1926, Page 6

THE THREE MILLION “LOAN FOR RAILWAYS ”

(To the Editor)

Sir,—We all must feel proud to be citizens of New Zealand, when wc can read of the extraordinary confidence shown in this country by the financiers, and investing public, of the Empire City, by so considerably over-subscrib-ing a New Zealand loan of £6,000,000, in less than two hours, as was the case in London a feff days ago. And in noting the allocations of the loan, we find that £3,000,000 . is ear. marked for railway extensions, and improvements, and this naturally suggests the question of how much of the £3,000,-

000 will be car-marked for the construction of the "Nelson to Westport line,” and a further one, of what the Nelson,- and Murchison folk are going lo do about ii. hi (lie way of promptly’ putting forward their claim to at least one-third of the loan to be used for tho tap id completion of the gap in the South Island railway system.

Assuming that this £3,000,000 loan is not already' “ear-marked” for North Island extensions,- deviations, arid irnpi ovements, and thus once more ignore (lie dire needs and claims of the Nelson Piovincm by con tinning lo dole out nppioprialiotis of paltry £30,000 a year, with the spending of about two-thirds, in eontiminnce. of the five miles in 17 years” rate of constimctiori.

To avoid this disaster, the present, time seems most opportune for the Progirss Leagues, local bodies, and >■• gtn-iftalions th’onghont the province, tc thunder forth our claims, to a fair and

‘ square deal” in the allocation of this loan.

They ca a put forward a score of strong and valid reasons lo substantiate our claims, to urgency completing this “Line/” among them (a) that btutor political treachery of statesmen and Governments, of 50 years ago, this line would have been completed and in operation at least 40 years ago; (la) that the continuance of the policy of ignoring the solemn pledges then given, and often repeated by successive statesmen, has proved a cruel handicap on the- development of all parts of the province: (c) that this handicap has proved millstone to the development ; nci exploitation of its boundless mineral 'resources; (cl), that it lias, and still does, to aggravated degrees, stunt the growth of the city, and its “port,” and likewise the towns and .country,'parts of,the province) and none more so than Murchison and the rich fertile valleys around this richly endowed district; fe) that, the lack v of railway connection witr. other parts of the- South Island, largely locks up some of the finest scenery on the ■ Dominion, to a- large proportion of tourists and holiday makers, who are kept iavvay by reason of the heavy cos'of travelling; (f) that by practically shutting off the West and East Coasts o: this Island lb the fruitgrowers and fanners. By the present transport svs tern rind the cost of freights arid delays ir reaching these markets, it causes incalculable loss direct and indirect to these industries, and thereby to the whole, province; (g) the lack of through railway communication vyit.h other parrs of this Island, adds to the heavy burden of taxation on the country, by the locking up of immense sums of money in dead-headed railways—that- lead to no where—arid have no chance whatever of paying thei'.' why. To this bidden is to be added that of the immense sunn of money it costs to keep in risab/e order, the main roads that run parallel v-fih the railway, and .'now used mainly, by motor services and lorries. in too successful competition with . the rail ways. For these,, and a dozen* more eqtally forceful and ,logical icasons, the pic-reht golden opportunity for making efforts, to secure one-third of -.this £3,GOOjOOO loari, for our “line,” should lib seized arid pushed to a successful issue — I am, etc., .... ~ ..

ADVANCE- NELSON