The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1908. RAILWAY QUESTIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13678, 21 August 1908, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1908. RAILWAY QUESTIONS.

Mr Angland reminds us in a. letter appearing elsewhere, .in this issue that ill is over three years ago since he moved in (he matter of railway charges on grain which the Oamaru Chamber of Commerce is now bringing under the notice of similar ■ organisations with a view to securing a. readjustment, of ilie rates. We cannot, profess (o be. particularly well posted in the details of these haulage charges, but the figures given in. the. repoll, drawn up by the committee of the Oamaru Chamber of Commerce, and those set out to-day by our correspondent 'seem, to. indicate a very anomalous condition of things. What: the Oama.ru people want, is thati grain railed from the country into store in the town and subsequently reloaded: for shipment, should be placed' on the softie footing as grain'railed straight through from a country station to ■the ship's side. At present, as far as we can make out, if grain is Tailed' into store in Timaru or Oamaru, and subsequently taken out for shipment, there is an extra cost of a chilling a ton above what would be 'charged for haulage if the grain had not passed through a store. One result pointed out by Mr Angland is t/ha erection of stores in the country, which take business froia existing grain warehouses in Timaru,. and reduce the demand for labour in the town. It is possible, of course, that these country stores would still be erected, even if the demand of the Oamaru Chamber were" granted, but there is no doubt, that the heavy railage rate from the town stores must give the country buildings a big advantage over their competitors. The saving of a shilling' a ton which is effected when grain can be sent direct say from Temuka to the Timarii wharf must inilitate hen,vily against the proprietors and employees of- warehouses in Timaru, and it ought to be worth while for the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and for the Timaru Harbour Board as well, to give what assistance they can to the requests of the Oamaru Chamber embodying a reform which Mr Angland ineffectually attempted to'initiate quite a long time ago. Leaving this question of a particular rate for the haulage'of grain, we desire now to comment! briefly upon ;v* Dunedin telegram printed this- morning to tha,»fffect ' tliat' i* railtf ay leagued - ih?,"the solfcr is urging expedition in the liuilding of a lino in. which id is interested. We have frequently, condemned the unbusinesslike system, which lias been followed for years past in- the construction of new railways,' and the need for criticism, though less clama,nb than if, , used to be, has not, yet passed away. Otherwise we .should not hear these occasional cries from, various districts, bewailing the slow rate of speed ac which their lines are progressing. Mr Samuel Vaile, an earnest, student of these questions, has just- 1 issued a pamphlet dealing with " the .railway problem" of New Zealand, in which we find! the following figures relating to the cost, and J extent, of the liiies: South Island.

Year Capital expended Miles open 1901. £10,869,606 . 1385 1907 £14,837,549 1515 North Island. , 1901 £7,420,452 829 1907 £10,601,019 943 So that, in" the South Island, it took six years,, and >an expenditure of about, four millions sterling, to add 132 miles to the working railways, while in the same time only 114 miles only 114 miles were added in the North Island at an additional expense of nearly -three .millions. If wa take the North Island Main Trunk line, which ; ought to have been pushed' along with all possible speed, we find that during the present! century the annual rata of progress varied from 7 A miles to 34 miles, though; it is only fair to admit that, since the Ward Gpyermnent took office the expenditure on this colonial undertaking and (he advance of the railheads have been a big improvement on what previously obtained. NoW that the Main Trunk is almost out of hand, there are rumours that more new linps are to bft started about! the country. I#_ is ■much to be hoped that the rumour does an injustice to thei Government's intentions, for in ' all conscience there are enough of these partially constructed lines still slowly ladvancing itowardls completion, and it would be far bolter to finish them off before undertaking a. fresh, lot.: