NEW RAILWAYS POLICY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17450, 24 December 1930, Page 7

NEW RAILWAYS POLICY

NELSON'S PROTEST PROMISES DISREGARDED UNITED PARTY POSITION “RATTING ON A DEAD MAX" ( Per Tress Assorts tlon.) NELSON, last nielli. The strongest criticism is made by the Prowess League of the Government's de ision to stop (bo construction work of the Midland line. “We cannot sit dove and take an injustice like tliis” said tlie president, Mr. A. Gould. “The Government was elected on the railway policy, and (he question was, was it going to Ta(’ on a dead mac? If Sir -Joseph Ward had been spared, the Government would never have dared suggest this action.”

51c, 0. C. Black, M.P., in referring to the 1928 elections, said there was no rnmsnymg the fact that one of the plans of Sir Joseph Ward was the completion of Ihe main trunk lines. That was a definite olction pledge, and in certain ele’torafes oti that pledge certain Unbod T’ar'v supporters were returned. The South Island Progress Leagues stipnovlod Sir Joseph Ward’s policv. A Anflnjt,, nVd -p had been "’ven the Nelson province. . That pledge was cb'ou on (fie platform bv Sir Joseph Ward, as Leader of tlm United Partv. n "d c s T wider of the Government . In March. 19?8, there was a Cabinet instruction that Mo Midland line should 1 e ("Mie on w : 'h, also that n survev should be made from Murchison to T-viivoilim. T, A r nv of tbo same near. Sir Joseph Ward renewed bis pledge to the citizens oT v eh''o ;md the eleefrws of Motneka. He CL. B'ae'A would go further than that. 11l 1989 tl’ n Bad. "•nv Authorisation Act went tb v ou <T h ty.'dinmonf. nm' the man rilv of tfie Tb,nce t-nfo' 1 for tbo authorisation of ♦ f-e Midland line from Murchison to Tmineafina i"’'etion. 9" March 1. at Morel l Ison, the present. P'-me Minister "are a definite nmlerstand'urr that the line was iroil 1 "- OH. 1111(1 fui'lllCl'. that men vn«n (,> '-(, omnlnvei' As a mom. '■or nf (ho T T mted Pav*v. he eoilld sal’ <!,..( "over ct apv ean'i’s of the r>n"fv fiod fborn been anv sm v < ir e | -'Gon of the C U specs .o»i /"* (Ucinpage nf 'lie Work oil (be Midland line. Members „f tfie ivi"fv had no* been vonsußed in pnv ii’nv (ovwooning the Government s present n'tion.

UNRELIABLE ESTIMATES Mr. Black also referred to the setting up of it Parliamentary committee last session to go into railway matters. No other than departmental officers were consulted l>v the committee regarding evidence, it being stated that departmental officers had all the information upon which the decision to«construct the railways was based, but he ventured to say that had the evidence been taken the estimate as/ to the probable traffic on the line could have been knocked skv high. The report was an incomplete one, as the committee stated it did not have time to go fully into the position. Tl\e word “stoppage” was used in connection with some of the lines, said Mr. Black, ibut the word “suspension” was used in connection with the Midland line. The league should know the Government’s intention in the matter. Tie added that he would do everything! in his power to see that the work was carried on in future ns it has been since be had been member for the district. If it was not. he would sav it would he an infamous monument to one who was a great statesman.

Mr. W. J. Moffatt, the Mayor, said Nelson relied enlirelv on the promises made hv Sir Joscnli Ward, and refrained from joining in the deputation to him, as it. was considered that lie had given bis word: that was all that was remiiml. The speaker believed that Fir Joseph was gratified at Nelson’s action. The Hon. W. Snodwass referred to the coal areas that the Midland railwav would tan, as a strong argument for the completion of (be h nfl . file went no to sav that, when the Otira line was being constructed a great outcry had been raised that it was an extravagant niece of work The results, however, had justified Hie line, and "-V should vot, the same apnlv to the Midland line? Tt should ,lr >t bo (xjisidered in more no’oids. shillings and pence, and lie ovule the point that'if for anv reason Wpstv>o'i, harbor was closed. coal ~.(,,,1,1 fie ended to Nelson • this alone ..(,,,1,1 it'd ify llio com'det ion of the linn. Nelson, bn llioindd. bad a verv case, and the promises should he fulfilled.

AUCKLAND PRESS VIEWS SUSPENSION APPROVED WHAT OF THE SOUTHERN LINE? (Special to the Herald.) AUCKLAND, this day. Referring to the stoppage of the four railway construction works, the Herald comments on (lie East Coast section aflected as follows; “On the Napier-Gis-horne railway, work will continue on the Napier-Wniroa section. The policy statement shows it to he so tar advanced that to abandon it would he to sterilise capital in an even more flagrant fashion than when the work ceased so abruptly on the Palmerston North deviation. I he. official return of last session gave no separate estimate of the results for this section, hut from supplementary information it will probably yield a loss of substantially more than DIOO.GIQ a year, inte est included. Still, that must presumably be endured. The line southward from Gisborne to Waikokopu is not to continue. A minority section of the Select Committee which considered the lines under const ruction last session, and failed to report on them, made some verv significant facts about this. Information had been submitted as evidence In the coinmitlr.ee. It showed an estimated annual loss of T105.C00. and construction cost of £1.898,000 against an estimate of £1,488,000, no prospect of land development along the route, and every prospect of severe road competition. On this information, it is easier to understand why the work is to cease than whv it was ever begun as it was in .June, 1929, as part oF the United Party’s much-vaunted policy. The present recantation is none too early since oyer £500,000 has already been spent to no good purpose.” The Star remarks: “'the Government deserves credit for taking these decisions, which will not ho popular in the districts affected, hut it cannot expect to escape criticism for it failure to grapple, with the whole problem. It does not explain whv it has decided to close these lines, and go on with the South Island Main Trunk line. All it savs is that it has (riven due considecntion to the possibilities of every section of line under construction._ and the policies, both local and national, that surround them. This is all verv well, hut the public wishes to know what me the policies, and what are the consideiations that led the Government to take these decisions. Unemployment is admitted to be a factor, but are wo to understand that the suspension of other works depends unon arrangements being made for the absorption elsewhere of labor employed there? Work on the South Island Main Trunk line is to proceed but no fresh evidence in favor of completion has been adduced,. It remains just as dubious as ever.”

GOVERNMENT CRITICISED ITS EXISTENCE THREATENED GISBORNE LINE SHOULD GO OX (Special to the Herald.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The action of the Government in stopping several railway lines under construction to conserve public finances meets with the approval of business men, including members of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, Reform supporters, and Government supporters in Christchurch. It is felt that in a time of difficulty all expenditure not immediately productive should be cut out, and that therefore the Government is wise in cutting down on railway work.

A different viewpoint is taken by Mr. E. J. Howard, ALP. “The United Party is in office, but Reform is ruling,” said Air. Howard. “Reform moved resolutions in the House to do just the things the Government is now doing. Reform was defeated on divisions, but is winning in the recess. Take the question of unemployment. First, Reform moved for no work, no sustenance. That motion was defeated, showing clearly that the intention of Parliament was that the sustenance allowance as laid down in the Act was to be paid if no work were provided. No sustenance is being paid. Reform has also moved that all lines under construction be stopped except the Wesport-Lnangalnui and Eskdale-Wairoa sections. The lines are now to be stopped except the South Island Main Trunk and Stratford Alain Trunk. “A tribute must be paid to the member for' the South Island Main Trunk district, Mr. E. F. Hcaly. He has a strong personality, and apparently has prevented the work from being stopped. Jt must also be remembered that the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes comes from a territory affected. Reform’s policy is certainly be ing carried out in the recess, and it looks as if there will be no early session of Parliament. The Government would be defeated on its policy if the House were called together, because there would be sufficient of its own members against it to ensure defeat.”

THE FARMERS’ PROBLEMS AsW what he thought about the stoppage of construction of more railways in view of the losses on the working railways, Mr. Howard said the railways were like many farmers. It was an easy matter for fanners to walk off the land and join the unemployed, and that was what many thousands of them would do if they lost heart. If they were tided over the present depression by financial help thev could remain and make good. Presently the country would be borrowing millions to put men on the land, but it would be cheaper to keep men on the land now. Our railways were in the same boat, so to speak. Rates in the counties had trebled in a few years because largely of mot or t ran sport, and the need for better roads, and farmers had lo pay an annual levy. If they were asked to pay an annual levy on their own railways they would die of fright. The Government was going on with the Eskdale-Wairoa section, and was stopping the WaikokopuGisborne section. That meant that traffic on the Napier-Gisborno route would still go on to the motor services, which had 12 ears running a daily trip, and also a Sunday service. The ears landed passengers at their homes at slightly loss than fir-st-class railway fares. To stop railway construction work at Wniroa and not go from Waikokopu to Gisborne meant a gift of the service to motor transport. If the line from Napier to Gisborne were completed, and the railway management were given a free hand, the country might lose for a while, but the line would pay in a few months, comparatively speaking, for there was plenty of land available. However, Mr. Ratepayer, who was the farmer, would have his rates increased at present to supply a road for the carriage of his goods at Is 2d a ton per mile, while the railways could carry his tonnage for 4d a ton per mile and pay handsomely, while tho road rate would be cased.

A WEAK FEATURE SOUTH ISLAND LINES (Special to the Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day. The weak feature about the Government’s latest decision regarding curtailment of railway works expenditure, ictnarks the Dominion, is that it proposes to continue its wasteful policy regarding the South Island Main Trunk line and also one section of the West Coast line. No doubt it would embarrass the Prime Minister’s colleagues to close down on the former line, which passes through Mr. Forhi's clectoriitc, whihs the Leader of the Labor Party, Mi’. Holland, would hate a ground of grievance if the West Coast work were wholly stopped. But these should he minor considerations when weighed against the increased burden the coinnletion of these lines will place on the country as a whole.