BRANCH RAILWAY LINES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21163, 22 October 1930, Page 12

BRANCH RAILWAY LINES.

QUESTION OF CLOSING. SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS. (From Oub Pabiaamewtabv Reporter. ) WELLINGTON, October 21, The hope that it would still be possible to maintain services on some branch lines, the closing of which had been ordered, was expressed by the Minister of Railways (Mr W. A. Yeitch), when speaking in the railways debate in the House of Representatives to-day. The decision to close some lines had caused some heartburnings, the Minister said. Some cases were still under consideration. He had had this satisfactory experience that in a number of cases where, owing to losses, instructions had been given to close the lines,, negotiations had been opened up between local residents and the management and between local bodies and the management. As a result, vigilance committees had been set up to canvass the districts to see how much business could be brought back to the lines. He was pleased to say that in some cases the de- N partment had been assured of so much business that it would not have to close some lines, so that the possibilities of the tuture in that direction were very great indeed. . Mr J. Bitchener (Reform member for Waitaki): Why did you not give districts the same opportunities? The Minister said all districts bad been given sympathetic consideration, and if there were further representations to make he would be pleased to hear them.