RAILWAYS

Southland Times, Issue 16844, 21 September 1911, Page 6

RAILWAYS

NOSTH ISLAND DEHANDS. A VIGOROUS ADVOCACY. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND. Sept. 20. The rights of the North Island in regard to railway construction found a vigorous advocate at this afternoon’s meeting of the Auckland Railways League in Mr E. C. Banks, of Matamata. Mr Banks moved: "Seeing that the pointing ion of the North Island is so much greater than that of the South Island, and that the North Island railways are paying so much better titan those in the Scuth Island, the Government be asked to spend two pounds on the North railways for every pound spent on the Scuth lines until the mileage of railways in tiie North Island is equal to that In the South Island.” Mr Banks sr.id he thought that the population of the North Ishmd was about 80,000 greater than that of the South Island, and yet the North Island had only about 1(00 miles of railway, as against some If 00 miles in the Soutli Island. Although the North Island at present had 41, members in the House of Representatives. as against Hie South Island’s 35, a much greater expenditure on public works was still going on in the Soutli Island. It was, lie considered, a reflection upon the North Island that its members were unable to hold their own a tainst the South Island. The North Auckland. East Coast, and OngarueS watford lines (for which the League is asking for votes this year totalling £ irni.O'Ht) would, lie considered, pay at least four per cent, on their cost when the:.- were finished. These works would thus lie a splendid investment for the Government. -He contrasted the prospects of such lines with those of the line from Canterbury to the AVest Const of the South Island.

Air A. A\'. Thomson, of Auckland, who seconded the motion, said that Air Banks’ estimate of four per cent, as, tiie earning power of the Northern lines was a

very moderate one. He had made a Circulation of the returns from the 23 rilles of line at Gisborne for a period cf three or four months during the present year, and he found that the earnligs of this section, short and isolated as it was, were til the rate of about five gnd a half per cent per annum. The motion was carried unanimously. A ROTORUA REQUEST. ROTORUA. Sept. 20. At a largely attended meeting the following resolution was passed ; "That, in the opinion of this meeting, the time has arrived when the Government should take into consideration the construction of a railway between Rotorua and Taupo and tiie connection of these towns with the Alain Trunk railway by the construction of a railway llrve between Taupo <>r Tokapu and Kakahi on the Alain Trunk line, or any more convenient point on that lino, inasmuch as the proposed private lino from Putaruru to Taupo would, if authorised, preclude any possibility of the above line bring authorised, would be of far less value to the dominion as a whole than the proposed Rotorua to Taupo line, and would be entirely antagonistic to tiie 'Drinciple of -State-owned railways. This meeting protests against such line being authorised."