OUR RAILWAY PROBLEM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 17 January 1928, Page 7

OUR RAILWAY PROBLEM

(To the Editor) Sir, —Your "will o' the wisp" correspondent "Caution" whoi tries to hide ins identity by adding a fresh prefix to his signature each time he writes, in his latest' that appeared in Friday's issuo of "The Marl", makes a very clnmsy and foolish . attempt to P9 ur .scolding sarcasm and ridicule' on the latest commendable enterprise of 'our Railway Department in their efforts to cater lor, the public in the form of cheap excursions to the present railhead. An effort that will do more than anything else to show the people what could be done in a similar direction for longer distances with the railway completed to the West. Coast railhead.' Wo need not worry about "Caution's" silly argument about the cost to the Government of these cheap excursions. The. Railway Department.may safely be. left to look after that part, 'and to see that these cheap fares are, placed on a payable basis, and given the reasonable support ol' the public Inl which they are entitled. "Caution" does not seem to realise, that he is trying to heap discredit and discouragement on one of the greatest sources and forces that have made this country's remarkable development possible, wherever they have been constructed with access to marketing centres. And therefore railway traducers are. up against the State, and up against one of its greatest and most beneficient enterprises for the common good cf the people wdio comprise the State. By his and his ilks' action in discouraging and hindering the completion of the railway,'they are;rendering one of the greatest disservices and disloyal actions to the State and people that the narrow vision and actions of private interests can commit against the weal of the. people. "Caution s foolish efforts to pour ridicule on the Railway Department's efforts to provide the people with cheap transport to some of the beauty spots' of this pro. vince, has nothing commendable about it to the people of Nelson or Murchison. Would not "Caution" be far better employed in turning his attention to providing a creditable quick cheap motor service from the railhead to Lake Rotoroa. By his present attitude •your correspondent is simply banging his head against the stone wall and forces of progress and efforts of the people to secure railway communication with the other parts of this Island—is an effort that should commend itself to all patriots. For it is no new effort, but one that has been going on for more than sixty years, and would have been consummated as far back as the 'eighties of last century, or in the 'nineties, but for the. interference ot statesmen and short-sighted politicians of those days, who were evidently not less stupid and short-sighted in their outlook than those blinded by private interests of to-day. There is no greater or nobler service that "Caution" could render his country, his province, and this city than by aiding and helping to assure their dombdned development and progress, by helping to secure their speedy linking up with the main railway system, which has QP compeer as a mighty force for advancement and the. bringing of distant centres into quick and cheap intercourse with each -other, for the interchange of commerce and common needed commodities, and for enabling far-separated peoples to come into mutual contact, and see the wonders that nature has provided in their several districts. And on the other hand surely no one could be engaged in a more contemptible work than that of discouraging these essential features of communal and national life and progress, that cannot be met in their broader aspects by the motor interests, and for these reasons." Caution" by his stultifyin"- efforts can pnly bring contempt on himself and the motoring interests by trying to hold back this needed cheaper and quicker form of communication and leng distance travel, and means of mass interchange of commodities and live stock from one end of the Island to the While "Caution" pours out his foolish sarcasm and ridicule on the Railway Department's efforts and possibilities for providing cheap fares to the rail head, and the prospective cheap fares to Murchison and beyond that the completion of the railway would visualise, he has not had a word to say against the Railway Department spending a large sum on subsidising of motor lorry setvices between the railhead and Murchison," or the prospect of heavy losses on this venture.in making up the difference between the motor freight contract price and that of railway rates for freight. ' In this case the motor interest gets its pound of flesh, but in the event of the railway completion to either Murchison or to Inangahua, they stand to lose it in its present form, and have not vision enough to see that the development the railway would inaugurate would create a great demand for the motor as a feeder to the railway from the many rich valleys around Murclu"Caution" does not even hint that either Murchison or Nelson should be called on to guarantee to make up this certain loss of providing motor carriage of goods at rail rates. "What is sauce for the goose should surely be sauce lor the gander", and so if "Cautiftn had any consistency or sincerity in his tirade he/ wlould be protesting against the railway doing this great service to Murchison* without a guarantee against loss. But in this case we have to note that it will bring grist to the motoring null and so all is well.—l am, etc., .GORDON'S KNOB.