THE RAILWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17454, 31 December 1930, Page 12

THE RAILWAY

(To the Editor of the Herald). Sir, —In connection with the stoppage of the railway construction, one of the chief reasons advanced by Cabinet for their decision was that their'experts had made calculations re costs of construction and probable revenue. It should not be difficult for any delegation interviewing Ministers to be able to impress upon them the utter unreliability of experts’ estimates. We have ample evidence in our own town, and the Government has ample evidence throughout tho country in many of its works. Mangahao, Arapuni, and Waitaki hydroelectric schemes, Waikokopu harbor, the new railway workshops, and hundreds of other cases clearly show that the best experts in the Government service cannot give figures to be relied upon. Gan the figures given for new work at Araouni be relied upon? The best expert hi the world was engaged, pocketed his fees, but declined to give figures, stating that was for the Government’s experts. The calculations may be upset either way; that does not seem to be the determining! factor with the Government, which seems to be always the necessity of the work. Construction cost and returns from the outlay are secondary. If it were not so then condemnation could readily be given to many undertakings of the Government. Therefore that part of the excuse given for stopping railway construction to link up our town with the railway system of the Dominion can readily be discounted at its true value. What must be fought for is the necessity of our town being linked lip, as lias been promised, bv successive Ministers and Cabinets. The gathering together of estimates, re probable revenue to refute (lie estimates of the Government experts is worth while. ,r, nlcnlatintr construction costs is a waste of time. We are entitled to our railway connection, whatever it costs. We have '•elied upon the promises of the powers 'hat be. but we must not allow ourselves <o ralrnly submit to the action of Messrs. Ransom‘and Co., who are practically unacquainted and unconcerned with this district’s past, present or future. — Yours, etc., „ „ ’ P.B.