THE RAILWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18661, 22 March 1935, Page 14

THE RAILWAY

'•TIME TO GET A MOVE ON" WAIROA'S GREATEST NERD (Herald Correspondent.) Travellers who now and again visit the suspended East Coast railway work continue to express astonishment that this great national work should be still held up. This need not be wondered at for it is about as silly a thing as a man refusing to roof his dwelling after he had got up to the ridge pole. It is not true, as sometimes has been alleged, that the material along the line is rusting away, because it seems lo he well looked after, but the same eannot be said for the permanent way. The cuttings and fillings are certainly deteriorating for want of attention, and this is easily understood from tiie department's viewpoint. "We- are not going on with the line" is their policy, and "let it rip" is the obvious corollary.

The people of YVairoa are interested in the recent movement in Gisborne to take increased interest in the important work of linking up the East Coast with the railway systems and the markets of the Dominion. But talk, though cheap, is not enough. Action is called for, and called for at-onee, seeing that the South Island is again moving for the completion of its "unfinished lines. What we .need here is to take a leaf out of the book of the old Roman senator, who, when he found the rising power of Carthage threatening the supremacy of Home, decided to end all his speeches with the words: "Carthage est delenda" (Carthage is to be destroyed)—and it was. and Wairoa public men—in less classical terms—should, in season and out of season, end with the words "We want- the railway." Say it loud and say if often, and we may get there sooner than we think.

As a contribution to this end. and writing on behalf of the farmers of the Wairoa district, may I say once again that it cannot be too strongly stressed that if the East Coast, and particularly the Wairoa portion of (lie most fertile area in New Zealand, is to progress as it should, the completion of the railway is a vital necessity, and not as some might suggest, a pure luxury. Our district is not yet one half developed—some of it not yet even touched—and wifi) the progressive policy of Swifts now in evidence, it is imperative that our isolation from the. rest of the Dominion should be abolished as it would be by completion of the. line, and even if the Government cannot see its way to bring this important line to completion, it should get behind the peopTe of the Kast Coast and help to secure the necessary funds lo carry on the line from Napier to Gisborne. Some people affect to sneer at America and its ways, but even so it is inconceivable that Congress wotdd permit such a large area as this Kast Coast to languish for over half a •cnd.rv for want of railway access.

Many people here. also, are asking whv Napier seems to be laying on its i.-irs in litis matter, for if. must be of paramount interest to both Napier and Hastings to see this work carried out. The Government also is. or it should be. interested in this work, seeing the vast areas of Crown and native-owned lands !n which it has financial interests, if none higher than that, awaiting cheap ind regular transport to enable these 'amis to contribute the proper quota to ihe wealth of the country. If the Government is not prepared to <lo this, ;.s many contend, how can it expect- Ihe people to pay the (axes demanded of them

Anyone who travels the country cannot but be charmed and surprised at the many fine herds of cattle to be seen in every hand, yet these same cattle have to be travelled in many cases 200 miles to reach the fat stock markets, and the Kast Coast fanners, through the local bodies, have to help in repairing the damage caused to the roads. The county engineer not long ago informed the Herald's correspondent that once a. mob of 500 head of cattle travelled over the Wairoa roads jt was good-bye to the water-tables. The' time is not far distant, perhaps, when the Government will have to take over and maintain the main highways, and then it will find that it will pay it to take the heavy traffic off the roads. Whv not do it now? Again, and lastly "We want the railway."