RAILWAY COMPLETION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22406, 30 April 1936, Page 12

RAILWAY COMPLETION

LINES IN SOUTH ISLAND GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS [BY TELEGRAPH —I'HESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The Government's determination to complete the South Island Main Trunk railway and carry out "the early survey of the uncompleted section of the Midland line from Glenhope to Inangahua was expressed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, to-day, in replying to an influential deputation from the Nelson, Motueka and Murchison districts. Mr. Savage said it appeared from the first glance that there was an unanswerable case for the completion of tho Midland line, but until a survey was made he could not commit the Government. No time would be lost making a survey, and people of the district would be informed of the decision at the earliest possible moment. Mr. Savage said he had heard it said that the rail"ways would not }>ay. He agreed that it was not a question whether a railway was returning sufficient revenue or not; it was a question of whether a railway was serving an area so far as development was concerned. Mr. Savage said the railways were going to be up-to-date, and ho visualised the time when rail cars would be in uso in most parts of New Zealand for the transport of passengers. He said they could not legislate their competitors off the roads completely, but they could provide means of transport which were as good as or better than those of their competitors. The South Island Main Trunk line, tho Prime Minister declared, had to be completed. " We will be accused of lavish expenditure," he concluded. " That might be true, but we will have something to show for it at the end."