THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13516, 13 February 1906, Page 3

THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOH. «T slE '~»' . corre6 P°iident, signing himself J. L.," in your issue of February 8 disagrees with the view—now, I think, generally accepted in Otago—that the Otago Central railway should be stopped for some time when it reaches Clyde. Ho considers that the Upper Clutha Valley is able to support a railway, awl that, therefore, the Otago Central railway should proceed after reaching Clyde at the samepace as before. For all I know to the contrary a railway between Clyde and Lako Hawea might pay well, but that is not a sufficient reason for concluding that the colony should immediately undertake the wort of constructive that railway. The line from Clydo to Hawca will probably cost about £300,000, and if to construct it it. was necessary simnly to borrow' £300,000 car-marked for the Otago Central railway, and expend that sum as quickly as possible so as to complete the line in, say, three years, then it would be advisable to do so, if Otago Central is a land flowing with milk audi hqney, as you desoribe it. That, however, is not the position. If the Otago Central railway is continued at present beyond Clyde it can only bo constructed' at a rate of two or three miles a year, and the money which will bo expended on it will be taken from some other work, probably the Main Trunk railway, Surely a work of national importance like tho Main, Trunk line should not be delayed in order that a less important lmo may have a mile or two a year addedto its length. The truth is that the Olago Central railway,, or any other, cannot bo considered by itself. We have a sum of about £400,000" annually to expend on railways, and-wo can cither construct a few railways m a businesslike way, or a large number in an unbusinesslike wav. For political reasons this colony's legislators have- chosen the unbusinesslike way. It is unbusinesslike becaue it results in a tremendous waste of money. Railways are not opened until years after they were commenced; tho sections opened are often so short, and the distances Tun so small, that the lines must be, unprofitable. No one can tell liow much the lino depreciates in value between its commencement and its corn-

pletion, nor how nuieli is wasted by the dilatory methods and want of organisation, which must go hand in hand with railway construction at the rate of ono mi!o per annum. If the colony were to decide to construct no railways at a rate of less

than 30 miles a year it would probably be able to consthict five miles of' linos with

the slim of money which is now exnendod in constructing four. It is pretty obvious, therefore, that in a short time every part of the colony would benefit bv the adoption of this "concentration" poliov.—T am, etc., _N. Z. R.