THE RAILWAYS SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15748, 24 October 1914, Page 9

THE RAILWAYS SCHEME.

DISCUSSION ON BILL. NEEDS OF AUCKLAND. ATTITUDE OF MR. MYERS. SECOND READING CARRIED. SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY. [BY TKI.Fl.'RArn.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. Tip ' •'"vcniment's Railways Improvement Aio!iorisat:on Bill, which was introduced last week, was debated on the second rial eg sttuc this afternoon and this f \.-i :i:g in the House of Representatives. Tin' Minister lor Railways (the Hon. W. 11 Hcrriesl, in moving the second r<,.d rig of the Bill, expressed regret that the parochial element had been imported nit" the pi»vi. discussion. Mr. Russell, for u,.-t.ui.e, had stated that Auckland would k 'pt the linn's share of the proponed expenditure. The fact was that the gr 'wth of traffic in the North Island was far ahead of that in the .South Island. As the North Wand was forging ahead so rapidly, the accommodation in regard to stations, goods sheds, and yarding facilities must be pushed ahead to a corresponding degree. A great deal had been said about the large amount which it was proposed to spend on new stations at Auckland and Wellington, but tho building would not cost more than £40,000 Hi each city. Mr. Myers (Auckland East), who spoke this evening, paid a tribute to the good work already done by the new General Manager of Railways (Mr. Hiley). On tho introduction of the Bill he had recorded his protest, because he regarded it as a pure electioneering scheme. The Prime Minister : Will you vote for the Bill? Mr. Myers : Yes, I will vote for the second reading of the Bill. I am prepared to stand on my platform in Auckland with the Prime Minister and justify my vote. (Laughter.) I have the courage of my convictions. (Hear, hear.) That is what the present Government lacks. He went on to say that when he was Minister for Railways he had received deputations both in Auckland and in Wellington asking for new railway stations. His reply was that as Minister for Railways he would have been delighted to be associated with the building of stations in both these cities, but that as a. prudent Minister for Finance he would not even go to the length of saying that he would recommend the expenditure asked for to the Cabinet. The Proposed Works Needed. No one, continued Mr. Myers, who held the portion of Minister for Railways could fail to recognise the need for the important works proposed by Mr. Hiley, but if the Government had been sincere instead of making an electioneering matter of it they would have confined the Bill to the more urgent works and to the amount of money that could be raised and expended duxirg the present year. Sjuch a proposal would have received the heartiest support from every member on the Opposition side of the House. Mr. N'osworthy (Ashburton) : Will you vote against the'Bill? Mr. Myers: I shall always be consistent. The present Government had come into office as advocates of a curtailment of borrowing, but during the two years that it had been in office it had increased the Public Debt to a much greater average amount per year than the Liberal Government had done. The limited amount of money that would be available during the present crisis should be expended on the most necessary works. He would sooner see money spent on giving access to people who were practically without communication than see it spent on costly buildings. (Hear, hear.) Passages at Arms. A Government Member: Electioneering again. Mr. Myers: No; I am a city member. Mr. N'osworthy: Why vote for the Bill, then ? Mr. Myers Because I believe in a comprehensive scheme. Mr. Ijee (Oamaru): You are afraid of Auckland. Mr. Myers: I will meet the hon. gentleman at any time on an Auckland platform, and discuss the matter with him. Mr. Lee: But you won't vote against it. Mr. Myers said that even some of the leading newspapers supporting the Government had admitted that the large scheme put forward could not be carried out at present. Ho referred to the construction of locomotives, and said that if the policy that he had laid down had been followed they would have been in a better position j now in rcgnd to the supply of engines. ! If they had improved tho workshops at Newmarket and I'etone the Department would have been in a better position for the construction of engines itself as well as for placing larger orders with Messrs. Price Brothers. The Auckland Station. The Minister had said that the Auckland railway station would not cost more than £40.000. It was true that the building itself might not cost more, but it needed more than a new station to relievo the present congestion. The traffic at .•Hrkland was growing at an abnormal Tate and it would He of no uee to merely put up a new station building. He pointed out that the proposed expenditure on the new Auckland s'ation and vards was no less than £'150.000. It cou'.d thus be seen that the station itself was only a small Portion of the scheme. Mr. Hiley Praised. Mr Myers said he wished to make it quite clear that he was heartily in accord with the recommendation mole by Mr. Hiley, who had justified his appointment bv the comprehensive grasp that he had of the various matters dealt with in his report. At the same time he could not but say that the bringing in of a Bill at the present juncture providing for such a large expenditure could only be done for Political purposes. Those members who had a sense of responsibility were perfectly justified in recording their protest in the way tlo-v did last week. The proper thing to have dune at present was to have made provision for onlv such urgent works as duplications, grade easements, level crossing improvements, better work'heps, and lit id tie strengthening. By vot"l2 against the introduction of the present electioneering Bill the Opposition would not delay the carrying out of the scheme by even five minutes. Mr. Bradney Supports Scheme. Mr. J. H. Bradney (Auckland West), supporting the Bill, said that at the last election he was the only candidate who advocated the appointment of a general manager from abroad and paving him well. Mr. Wilkinson (I'gmont) referred to the present, out-of date station in Auckland. The Prime Minister, in his speech, said that the possibility of having an up-to-date railway station in Auckland on the pre,em site' had been spoiled by the erection of the now post office. The post offi< e was a good one, but it was in the wrung place. Sir Joseph Ward: It i* one of the finest Biles in Auckland. Mr. Massey: It is a good post office site, but it has made it impossible to have a good railway station on the present site. We need to provide a station that would •erve Auckland not for ten or twenty years but for fifty years.

! ftl Sir Joseph Ward: Why did you not say ! that about the Dunedin station? w .,f r - Massey: 1 have never found fault (h "?, we . Dttnedin station. The coet of tnat building was £44.000. We propose to expend £45.000 on the Auckland station, on A 00 mnTe than was spent I on the Dunedin station. Ai J J Vu,d : Thc Minister said £40,000. mately. S! 1 WaS Bpe * kin approxi--3 Masse M'd ho did not think any member would say that the Government's proposals '" regard to the new stations were extravagant. Auckland's Railway Traffic. Mr. Massey, continuing, said that the 57'V'f Auckland railway station hud doubled during the last eight years, ■»'■<> that it would more than double during the next eight yearn. He was almost certain the goods traffic at the Auckland station could now be handled only with the .difficulty. It was very necessary that Mr. Hiley's scheme should be fTund out as soon as the money could be t( und. Mr. Myers and His Vote. Mr. Massey referred to Mr. Myers's statement that the Bill was an electioneeri'»P Hill. If that was Mr. Mvers's opinion that member's duty was clear. He should «alk into the lobby against the Bill. Mr. Myers : I have already done so. Mr. Massey : Yes, but you won't do it "Sain. (Laughter). Mr. Myers : 1 will vote with you. Mr. Massey: I shall he very glad to welcome the hon. gentleman, and I think mat it would he very much better for him and the important constituency that ho represents if h« voted with me very much more of tenor than he docs. Mr. Harris (Waitemata) said it was true mat it was proposed under the Bill to expend a very large amount in the Auckland district, but this was necessary to tvP 6 v 1 the great 'aereasc in traffic, ■jney had been starved in the past, but Auckland was now coming into its own. Hie second reading was carried by 30 votes to 17. The following is the division list :—

AYES (30): Bollard, R. F. Massey Bradney Myers Campbell Newman, Dr. P. B ™* Nosworthy Dickson okoy Escott Poarce i lshei Rhodes, T. W. *™ Rhodes, R. H. Glover Scott Guthrie Smith, F. H. Harris Statham Herdman Sykes Hemes Thomson, G. M Hunter Wilkinson Malcolm Wilson NOES (17): Carroll Robertson Coates Russell EH Seddon Sine Thomson, J. 0. McCallum Ward Mac Donald Webb Ngata Wilford Payne witty Te Rangihiroa PAIRS. Ayes: Noes: Allen McEenzie Newman Smith, R. W. Buick Veitch Thomson, G. M. Sidey Craigie Atmore Lee Colvin Hindmarsh Forbes Mander Parata Buchanan Buxton The Bill was then put through committee without amendments, and read a third time without discussion.