RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13308, 15 October 1906, Page 5

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

IMPORTANT STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. APPLICATION OF WATER-POWER. [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] -_' Wellington, Saturday. ' In replying to-day to a deputation of Pongitroa settlers, who made a request for a light line of railway from Masterton to Waipukurau, the Minister for Public Works made some important statements regarding the development of the latent water-power of the country, and its ap- . plication in future to our working railways. • The country, he said, would not go in for an increased borrowing policy, and in the meantime all possible energy would be concentrated on the Main Trunk line. In less than three years' time this work would be completed, and the Government would be in a position to deal t more liberally with the other works in '•'"hand;" ; As Minister for' Public Works',* he desired to do the right thing in the interests of the colony as a whole. The \ application of water-power to the working of our railways would alter the whole system. Instead of grades like one in 65 and one in 70, having to be preserved, the lines could follow the undulations of the country, and extensive cuttings and tunnelling* could .be avoided. In the course of time he believed the whole of the New Zealand railways would be electrified, and trains would be running over the lines at intervals of an hour. They leally would not be trains, but chains of » few cars -run to suit the requirements of the population and the demands of : the produce traffic. It would be possible to construct lighter lines with lighter bridges at greatly reduced, cost, and trains could b» run practically continuously at a cost not in excess of the existing expenditure. This was the policy he was ever keeping before him. ' The deputation would naturally inquire "When do you think it will bo possible to have water-power applied to the railways?" In reply, he could only say that any scheme for the application of water-power, would be very costly, and a most careful inquiry would have to be made, and details minutely thought out before any definite proposals were made. The difficulties of surveys had entailed delays which had prevented him from bringing down certain information in this, connection, which he had hoped to be in a position to place before Parliament at an early date this session. Water-power, he affirmed, was going to be a great and important factor in the development of New Zealand. _ He' believed that in 12 months' time he would have formulated some definite proposals for railing the country on the lines he had suggested.