CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 December 1930, Page 4

CONTROL OF RAILWAYS.

The Manawatu A. and P, Association asked support to a resolution urging tjie Government iff’give effect to the recbmmendation ojj the Commission that the management of the railways be removed from political control and handed over to-an independent board. ‘•Have you any idea of running the railways?” asked the chairman. Mr. Hunter: The best way would be to sell them. , Mr. Stuart said the idea would be to run them on commercial lines and make them pay. ' . TJib pijiajrftian pkid that the question was a. very, serious one. He'had no recommendation to make. If the coptrol of the railways could be set entirely apart from political control it might be all right,, butlhe held -that as long as the Minister, of Hailways was to have a say,, there would still - control, It would, be preferable to stop building some.’Of the railways that would never pay. 1 ' Mr. Stachurski favoured a committee of the House, representative of all par-ties,-being set up to control the railways, ’. ; , / The chairrpan said that, the loss , was largely due to the fact that the Highways Board, had subsidised local bodies to. make roads on . which motor could compete against the railways in both goods'and passenger; traffic. The engineer pointed out that the railways in Taranaki had lost £60,000 last year, The essence of the.question was. the classification of the roads. ’ The chairman said that , some-people had the idea that the classification of the roads was for. the purpose of driving hpavy traffic, on to the railways, whereas it was for the purpose of saving the roads and thus relieving the ratepayers of the cost of reconstructing them.* Mr. Brown said matters had. come to a pretty pass when, the local bodies had to be consulted as to how to run the railways.. ' . After further 'discussion the letter was ireceived. RUGBY ROAD CROSSING,

Following , the recent discussion with regard to .the.'best means of indicating the Rugby Road crossing to motorists the Taranaki Automobile Association notified that it considered thp best way to overcome the difficulty would be to erect a light close to the crossing. It might be possible to make arrangements to have the light switched on in the evening and off again next morning. There was, of course, the cost of erecting the light, and the maintenance. The association asked whether the council would be prepared to consider the proposal. Mr. Cowley said the council had undertaken a lot' of expense in altering the crossing, which was now very safe. The chairman: Providing you do not go-too fast. It was resolved to inform the association that the council had no objection to a light being erected, but was not prepared to contribute towards its cost. Mr. P. Keller, district engineer, noti-

fied that a request had been made by certain interested settlers that the Derby Road be constructed by the Public Works Department. At present he was not in a position to recommend the work as a case for Government assistance, but he asked the council’s views on the

completion of the road, together with a schedule showing properties, valuations and rates, general and special. He also asked whether the council was prepared to contribute the cost of the formation and the construction of bridges on the road. , The clerk stated that the information had been supplied. A councillor considered that the road in question would be suitable for unem.nla.rexl work.

The clerk stated that a loan of £2OO would entail a 3d. rate. MOTL’KAWA ROAD. On behalf of his neighbour, Mr. G. Ferguson, and himself, Mr. Victor Thorne, Tarata, asked the council to furnish an estimate of the cost of metalling the unmetalled portion of the Motukawa Road. If the cost were within their limits they were prepared to divide the cost of metalling between them, as at present the few chains of mud road deterred them from the full use of the metalled portion on which they paid rates. He congratulated the engineer on the improvement of the road, and though it was not, vet finished they could wait a little while for its completion after having waited so patiently for years. —The information is to be supplied by the engineer. Mr. H. M. Besley notified that some months ago he had approached the council through Messrs. Jones and Willans asking that the bridge over the Mako Stream on the Makara Road be strengthened. Nothing so far had been done, though .several inspections had been made. He understood from the engineer that although the bridge could be temporarily and satisfactorily strengthened, at no distant date it .would require resurfacing. He therefore asked the council, to repair the bridge and submit proposals for its replacement. He asked permission to erect a gate on the road near his wool shed, the matter being left in the hands of the engineer, The Norfolk school committee applied

for a refund of £5 2s. 9d. paid to the council for improvements to the school ground. The chairman said he realised from experience that it was difficult for the schools to find the money to do everything required. Moreover, anything done would be for the benefit of the settlers’ children. It was decided to remit thb amount, and that in future school committees would not be charged for the hire of plant, but would merely be charged wages and material for any reasonable work done.

The ranger was authorised to prosecute owner’s of stock allowed to wander on the roads.