CAUTION URGED

Southland Times, Issue 20793, 6 June 1929, Page 6

CAUTION URGED

BAILWAY EXTENSION SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK OTAGO FARMERS’ RESOLUTION (Special to the Times.) Dunedin, June 5. ‘‘That before proceeding with the extension of the South Island main trunk railway the Government should , satisfy itself that the proposition was economically sound.” This remit for the Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was discussed and carried at yesterday s meeting of the Otago Provincial Council. Mr A. C. Leary, in endorsing the remit, stated that in many quarters there were doubts whether the proposition would pay, and there certainly should be a thorough investigation. Mr J. Preston said that if the project were put through there would necessarily be a good deal of capital expended. Many lines were not being utilized to economic advantage. , Motors were competing against them and were beating them for their passenger traffic. They must compete with the lorries. This matter should be gone into before the question of new lines was considered. Mr M. A., Kinney considered that it- was not always necessary to make a railway line pay, for indirectly it sometimes paid the country fairly well. A railway line could be a big factor in opening up lands, and they must never lose sight, of that fact. Mr Barnes (Commercial Agent, for the Railways Department) said that for the last year the whole of the railway freight charges were less, than £5,000,000, whereas if the same quantity of goods had been carried by road the cost would have been £23,000,000. Therefore, although the Department had lost a million it had really saved the people £18,000,000. . AUCKLAND PROTEST FAY-CASEY REPORT QUOTED. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, June 5. Replying to a Chamber of Commerce deputation which urged that, the ParnassusWharanui gap in the South Island Main Trunk Railway should not. be completed without a thorough investigation in the light of modern conditions and developments, Sir Joseph Ward said: ‘‘Unless we stop the railways altogether there is nothing in the world to prevent the completion of this line. From a policy point of view it is the only line in New Zealand that should be finished.”

Mr Merritt, president of the Chamber, remarked that the Fay-Casey Report had shown that the line should not be built. Sir Joseph Ward: “The Fay-Raven report and not the one to which you refer is the one upon which Cabinet based its decision. Sir Samuel Fay and Sir Vincent Raven recommended that this line be completed after they had made a thorough investigation on the occasion of their special visit in 1924. As far as I am concerned I intend to ignore the Fay-Casey report entirely. They did not advocate the ferry service but they did advocate the completion of the line as*part and parcel of the completion of the South Island line,” continued Sir Joseph. “It. would not be an economic proposition to have the present, gap. The last Government undertook to complete it and the present. Government had undertaken to do it. and the commission had reported favourably. What more is wanted ?”