THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1927. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19663, 15 June 1927, Page 10

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1927. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

With Parliament about to open, interest awakens in the operations of the great State departments. Though their work continues through the year, irrespective of session or recess, their achievements and future proposals are always reported to and reviewed by Parliament. The Public Works Department still gives its annual account of its activities. These are not so full of strictly political importance as they once were. Railway construction has been reduced to schedule, road grants are made on a fixed, almost an automatic, system. The old method of continuous regional pressure. and clamour for the building of railways has fallen into disfavour; the timehonoured "roads and bridges" member of Parliament can no longer point to the Public Works Estimates as evidence of his industry in urging the claims of his electorate to consideration. The change, all for the better, has not removed these important State activities from Parliamentary control. Railways are still subject to statutory authorisation, and the actual construction of them, together with road works, are governed by the general power vested in the House of Representatives to grant or refuse the money needed for carrying out the work. Therefore the Minister of Public Works must needs produce his statement and estimates each year. This session the present Minister will give an account of the first full twelve months' work under his control. In the last statement he opened with the acknowledgment that he had had little to do with the work reviewed, and indicated that he desired first to acquaint himself thoroughly with organisation and methods. This year a result of his observations, especially on railway construction, will be awaited. The Public Works Statement last year showed that 14 sections of railway were under construction. It was forecasted that seven of these, aggregating 171 miles, or three-fifths of the total length, would be ready for transfer to the Railway Department within two years. The greatest of these was the East Coast Main Trunk line from Waihi to Taneatua, 101| miles in length, over the whole of which construction was proceeding. Prospects of this promise being fulfilled are good. It is the greatest and most important work still in hand. Its completion will be an important event in the history of railway development. The situation forecasted suggests that it is not too early for the tasks of the future to be seriously considered. When the previous Minister, now the Prime Minister, assumed control of the department, he found haphazard methods, involving waste and duplication of effort, prevailing. He introduced system into the work, concentrating effort, so far as circumstances permitted, on the most important undertakings, with a view to their speedy completion. It is largely thanks to his energetic reorganisation that the progress implied in last year's statement has been made. If a similarly satisfactory standard of achievement is to be reached in future, it is not too early now to be laying plans against the time when there should be available plant and man-power released by completion of the tasks on which both have been engaged. The introduction of modern machinery and the collection of a staff of efficient and trained personnel have been two things accomplished during recent years of systematised work. The intention was that they should pass from one undertaking to another, so that there might be continuity of effort without dissipation of energy. For this policy, eminently sound on the face of it, to operate with most success, schemes must be framed well in advance. The present is not too soon for plans to be made in anticipation of future needs. There are at present authorised enough new projects to keep the Public Works Department well employed for many years to come. The question is which of them demands earliest attention. Little indication has been given recently of the official view on this important point. In the statement of 1023 the present Prime Minister briefly mentioned several which seemed important to him. He placed Westport-Inanga hua first. Its purpose would be coal transport, and apparently its pros pects of being a paying line are good. Those points count. Mr. Coates also mentioned the Tawa Flat deviation at the Wellington end of the North Island Main Trunk line and the Rimutaka deviation on the Wairarapa line. The last-named can scarcely be taken seriously, after engineering opinions which have been passed on it. The other two must be reckoned in the list, but to those who study the railway map of the Dominion there is still another work which has claims that cannot be silenced. When the East Coast line is linked up at Waihi, all traffic

over it must travel a devious route through Paeroa, Morrinsville and Frankton. This spells trouble for traffic organisation. If it were unavoidable, the best would have to be made of the situation. It is not inevitable. A short loop, connecting Paeroa and Pokeno, would meet the case completely. The East Coast and Auckland would he brought very many miles closer; busy junctions, where the pressure of traffic is already felt, would be relieved ; the line should be constructed without much difficulty, and the general efficiency of the whole system would be enhanced. The Paeroa-Pokeno loop line will force itself on the railway authorities with the opening of the East Coast section now nearing completion. Sound policy demands that its importance should be realised before the crisis which will inevitably follow its neglect is allowed to develop. When therefore the Public Works Department surveys the field before it, this line should be recognised among the first requiring attention. It must not be overlooked when the review is made as it should be this year.