A RAILWAY SCHEME

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13146, 29 August 1914, Page 5

A RAILWAY SCHEME

CONSTRUCTION BY LOCAL ENTERPRISE. (Special to "Tlie Times.") ! WELLINGTON, August L'S. A scheme for the construction of railWays by local enterprise is contained in a Bill introduced jn tiio'llouse of Representatives this evening. The measure is a comp'elte statement, in 101 clauses, of the machinery for-the building and/Operation of .such railways. Any continu; ous area may be constituted a railway district upon a petition signed by one-, fourth of the ratepayers within the' area. A Railway Board of from five to nine members is to be elected by tho ratepayers, and this Board is to have power to borrow money and to levy rates on a graduated scale, according to the measure of benefit conferred by tho works. The construction of a railway /proposed by a Board must bo authorised by Order-in-G'oiiiicil .before it is commenced. An agreement may be made between the Governor and any Railway Board for the trains and rolling stock of both the State and the Board's railways to run on the State and the Board's lines, Upon giving twelve months' notice-the Gqvcrnor may purchase a railway system constructed by a Railway Board at a pried fixed by arbitration. No compensation is to be paid' for. goodwill, but an addition is to be made to the price fixed by arbitration of five per cent., if the purchase is completed within ten and fourteen years after the railway lias beeii opened' for traffic, or-of 10 per cent, if it is made within fourteen and twenty-one v yeare. Power is given to the Board to sell or lease -its railway.