TARANAKI RAILWAYS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 109, 28 October 1911, Page 3

TARANAKI RAILWAYS

,i DISCUSSION IN" PARLIAMENT. I In the llouss on Wedn;slay evening, . I the second reading o.f the Railways , | Authorisation Bill was moved Ivy 31 on. R. McKenzie. who stated that it provided 1 ! for the extensions which would be carried I ~ ontt during the next two years, and there 1 . might he some little additions next . session. 'Mr. Dive (F.gniont) "ailed to nnder- , stand why the Opunake branch line had not been included. Possibly it was left out for political reasons. He moved: Thait the House is of opinion, that the Opunake branch line should be included in the Bill. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph W«vd) remarked that Opunake was a productive district but other places in the country were entitled to .railways. AH would have >to take their turn. He would like to remind Mr. Dive that he had seen a memorandum for Opposition candidates stating that the Government was borrowing eight millions in one year. Mr. Masscv: Is that not a fact? > Sir Joseph Ward: You supported the whole of the loan proposals. There ought to he a postscript to show thnt the leader of the Opposition has been in hearty accord with the Government only he would have liked to go one better to get more railways. (Laughter.) Mr. Wilfortl: I have a photograph of member* of this House, including Oppositionists. asking for thirteen millions for railway?. (Laughter.) The Prime • MniUter added that the Opposition was a'.wavs putting itself in this impossible position. Mr. Massey said that money was necessary for public work?, advances for settlers, land purchase, and so on, and the authorisation's mounted up at the end of the year. lie did not believe that j there was a circulir in existence, but whether or not the Government had authority to raise eight millions this year, although nobody would suggest that sin attempt would be made to exercise the power. The method in which the authorisations were obtained made it almost impossible for the Opposition to vote against them, but he thought that ft Itotal of four millions would be sufficient annually. He agreed with the principle that the State should own the railways, but the people should be permitted to construct branch lines, with the right of resumption by the State at their actual value without goodwill. The Prime Minister said it was idle for the Opposition to say that they were practieally forced to vote for all loans raised. There had been no change in methods since the days of his predecessor. The suggestion that anything was being held back was absolutely contrary to fact. lie would welcome a return following up all loan transactions during the-past twenty-five years. Mr. Massey said that though he had voted for recent loans, he held strongly that there was too much borrowing in the aggregate. The Prime Minister: Well, you could have moved to reduce any one of them, if you wanted to. 1

Mr. Massey: That is for the Government to do.

Remarking that this was all wry well, the Primp Minister declared that for some years past the Government had never borrowed anything like the sums for which applications had been made throughout the country. Mr. E. Newman expressed regret tlmt the Bill made no mention of the LevinMorton railway, especially as a survey promised a good while ngo.

A. L. Herdman said that it was time the Prime Minister indicated a fixed rate of borrowing. He quoted from a London interview with Sir Joseph Ward to the effect that in ten years it was hoped to have 4500 miles of railways and it did not square with the promised tapering oIF policy. The amendment was rejected by 41 votes to 30. MINISTER IN REPLY.

Hon. I!. McKenzie in reply said the q\iestion hail been considered for some time, but other railways should be taken in hand first, because the places without railways htul first claim. But he would go over the deviation at 'the earliest opportunity. The branch line to' Raetihi would tap a large forest, and be a great boon to sawmillers and settlers, as well n-s a profitable investment. It had to be admitted that the Opunake district would support a line, but there were other districts that could do the same. He had pointed out while in Taranaki that the people were returning members to Parliament opposed to borrowing, and ill thq circumstances they could not expect to have a new railway built in the district. The Waiuku line had quite as good a claim as the Opunake branch.

The Bill was read a second time on the voices.

THE ST RATFORD-ONGAR CTC ROUTE. When the Railways Authorisation Bill was committed the Minister secured the introduction of an amendment to the schedule altering the northern route of the Stratford-Ongarue railway. The new route will make the line junction with the Main Trunk near Te Koura. Mr. Pearce moved to strike out the provision that a nine-mile extension of the Midland railway as an indication that the Government should go on with the Opuna'ke line. He contended that the Midland railway would never pay even 1 per cent., and should be replaced by a line which would give some return for the outlay upon it. His object was to draw attention to the inadequate railway provision made for the North Island in comparison with that for the South.

The Minister said that the Bill , provided for £200,000 more railway expenditure in the North Island than in the South. He recognised that the North Island required many more lines, but the position so far as the South's was concerned was that the. country was pledged to the completion, of various lines there. He looked forward to the Midland railway being one of the most profitable lines in the Dominion when it was finished.

The amendment was rejected by 44 to 12, and the Bill reported.