POLITICS AT HOME

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 449, 15 December 1930, Page 9

POLITICS AT HOME

UNPAYING RAILWAY LINES. (Associated Chambers of Commerce.) Probably no more scathing indictment of political control of the Dominion’s railways could be found than the evidence concerning branch lines which was unearthed by the Commission that recently investigated this Department. No particular Government nor particular party can be held responsible for the deplorable state of affairs discovered by the Commission, for they all appear to have been guilty at one time or another of promoting lines which had not the remotest prospect of paying their way, or serving any other national service. No doubt in certain cases additional railway lines are required for opening up new country and developing promising industries. Such lines may be expected to assist in promoting and assisting these promising ndustries from the start; but many branch lines which have been built in this country are properly described as “political” enterprises that never pay their way or would be even remotely useful to the country. If such railw. y schemes had been submitted to a business directorate it is certain they never would have been undertaken. To set out the details of each individual line of this character would occupy more space than is available here; but those interested in the frightful waste of this description all over the country may find any further information they require in the Commission ’s report. Here it must suffice to say that on a trackage of 1,187 miles of development branch lines and isolated sections the total loss for the year ended March 31, 1930 amounted to £254.132. and the nett loss (after allowing £67,375 as “feeder” value) to £186.758. If interest on the cost of construction is added, the loss readies the huge figure of £761,091 for the twelve months, or substantially more than three-quarters of a million for the year.

It is true that Cabinet in tho face of these startling facts has decided to accept some of the Commission’s recommendations to abandon or curtail certain services; but under the present system, whatever the Goverment may be, it is certain as time goes on, and political and local pressure is brought to boar upon thn politicians, those linos will be gradually heaped nnain upon tho hacks of the taxpayers. There arc, indeed, already indications that this peril is at our doors. The one safeguard against the. recurrence of such a state of affairs lies in the substitution of independent. business direction for political control.