The Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1913. THE RAILWAY WAR.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 4537, 22 May 1913, Page 4

The Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1913. THE RAILWAY WAR.

-1 liv advocates of the light feeder linos for the opening up of the rich Wellington Unfit Const district have evenreason to be well satisfied with the reply given by the Hon. W. Fraser, Minister of Public Works, to their representations last evening. The Minister said as much as he could say, viv,., that he was a believer in light lines. He pointed out that whereas branch lines .wt so very long ago cost only from C7OOO to CBOOO a mile to construct they now cost C 15,000 a mile, which was almost, prohibitive. How much more prohibitive is it then to the Masterton proposition, when we remember that what the M aster ton people propose the country should construct not a branch line, but a heavy main line competing with the existing railway? It i.s a question that it will pay the settlers out hack to ponder over if ever they want to see their district opened up by means of any system of railways In the highly illuminating article which wo published in yesterday’s issue, it was pointed out that the loop-line to const,nut at XII 1.000 a mile would cost £ 1.250,000. In this, of course, we wen* vory touch below the mark, while in giving the probable cost of the light lines we over-stated the figure. Those loots instead of destroying the effect of that article, however, enormously added fit its value. It shows that, while presenting the loop-line civse in its most’favourable light, we presented the light feeder

linos case in a detrimental aspect—a circumstance at which loop-liners will surely have no reason to cavil. I nder our estimates the position was given aw follow 8: That whereas the loopline, the shortest of the three coastal lines advocated, would take £1,250,000 to construct, the four light feeder lines opening up exactly the same area of country would only cost £440,000. Now, at £15,000 a mile for the loop line the position would be that the Masterton project would cost £1,500,000, as against the high estimate of £440,000 given for the whole of the light lines! In other words the Masterton project would cost more than three times as much, or upwards of £1,000,000 more! After the Minister’s statement, the position, so far as the loop-line is concerned, won’t really bear analysis. The sooner our Masterton friends realise this the better, for the sooner then will we all be in agreement and the sooner will the Ea-st Coast be railed. What we want from Masterton is not abuse, but sound solid arguments. As yet Masterton has never advanced any arguments at all. Tt surely has a ease to answer! It will not do to talk of the parochialism of every other place when Masterton sets us such a fine example in advocating a costly line solely for the benefit of Masterton, and also refrains from so much as a blush when urging that Masterton-should be made the capital of the country! This, however, is by the way. The Minister of Public Works is now investigating the claims of the district for himself. living a strong advocate of light feeder lines we have no doubt as to what his verdict will be. He will certainly have very little time, and still less cash for Masterton's railway—to the moon kind of proposition.