BUYING HIS WAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8750, 4 June 1914, Page 6

BUYING HIS WAY

The turning of the first sod of yet another branch railway has been announced for next week. This time it is Culverden and Waian, in the' Canterbury district, that are being favoured. We observe that the Prime Minister is to| honour the occasion with his presence, and we have no doubt that he will eloquently denounce the pernicious system of commencing small political railways in election year, and enlarge on the wickedness of giving these jobs preference over the Main Trunk railway construction. If he does not, the people will be able to , discern a vast difference between his sentiments to-day and the. pure and ‘incorruptible principles he professed throe years ago when - he was asking the country to turn the other fellows out,of office and put himself ’ and his satellites ; in their places.' This is about the sixth branch railway that has been 'started within the last few months. But what about the main trunk lines? Are they being pushed on to completion, as Mr Massey pledged his party to do, in the best interests of the country? The southern main trunk railway was stopped in the Motueka and Nelson districts, which are represented by opponents, as soon as the Massey party came into power. Why is this important railway -not being pushed on to completion, so that travellers may avoid A long, sea journey? The Government that pretends to be hoe tile to monopolies can probably answer why. What about tho Napier-Gta-borne railway, which is an urgentlyneeded main trunk line, and which was abandoned as soon as the “Reformed" party, came into power? Why: is work not being resumed at Napier in preference to these branch lines ? There is surely no lack of money, because Mr Allen says he has more than he knows what to do with, and he is not spending a half-million on a Bristol cruisdr this year. What about the East Coast railway, which was stopped at Waihi in the electorate of a political opponent? In the light of what is happening now, all this pre-election talk of three years ago concerning the construction ‘of branch railways in election year, and the better policy of completing main trunk lines, betrays the Hon. W. F. Massey as an arrant political humbug.