The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1932. THE LAKE LOAD

Southland Times, Issue 21652, 14 March 1932, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, MARCH 14, 1932. THE LAKE LOAD

When the Mayor of Queenstown drew attention to the fact that after £30,000 had been spent and the worst part of the work had been done, men had been taken off the road connecting Queenstown and Kingston, he stated the best known part, of the case against the Government, but the constructive side of the ease is even stronger. Only seven or eight miles remain to be done and for another £BOOO or £9OOO the connection could have been put through. Money has been lost through the removal of the men from this work but probably it could be’finished now for an outlay no larger than the sum he mentioned. When the road was stopped within sight, of completion and an expenditure of £30,000 was left with practically no return, the argument advanced was that the road would compete with the lake steamers. The surprising thing, howev'er, is that this plea was advanced to protect a service which imposes a loss on the Railway Department every year, and compels Queenstown people • to pay liigher freight charges than would be necessary if through road connection with Invercargill were possible. This road is not designed for tourist traffic alone. Queenstown people depend largely on the tourist traffic, and anything which will increase the number of people visiting the lake capital is to their advantage; but they also look on this road as a means whereby their connection with Invercargill can be made cheaper and quicker. Southland, too, will secure an advantage through bettor communication with Queenstown. The proposal to levy a charge on vehicles using the road may be objected to because it involves a. toll, bjit Taranaki has shown that the toll system can be used with advantage, and in this ease the toll would serve the double purpose of making the road pay for itself and of equalizing the compete tion between steamer and road service. An increase in the number of visitors to Queenstown would involve an .all-round increase in trade, and the steamer service would have the opportunity to take a share of that; but it must be remembered that for some years the lake steamers have not paid and the Railway Board might be relieved to find in futurel years that the steamers were no longer necessary. Saturday’s meeting linked Southland with Queenstown in this matter, and it showed, too, that the-people of Queenstown are anxious to remain in the Southland regional planning area. While the Government is looking for opportunities for relief work of a repro-

ductive nature, it should consider the claims of this road, and make good the mistake of some years ago when the gangs were shifted ffom.it when only eight or nine miles remained to be constructed.