With which Is Incorporated Tho Waikato Argus. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1930. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18159, 25 October 1930, Page 6

With which Is Incorporated Tho Waikato Argus. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1930. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

The policy to. be .pursued abou'fc railways is the most important question now before the country. It is quite in accordance with our po.itical methods that it should be under discussion in the dying hours of the session when members are jaded and only anxious to get home. Another session | should be called to deal definitely with the matter. When the circumstances are put down in black and white it seems incredible that there should be any hesitation in stopping the expenditure on railway construction. Existing railways which run between cities cannot earn interest, and it is ridiculous to think that other railways in less busy areas can do better. Those now under construction are expected to show a loss of £750,000 per annum when completed. This sum is to he added to the losses already made, at a time when prices of produce are low, when population is growing slowly and unemployment is very serious. The Minister for Railways has put up a defence against handing over the railways to a board of business men and we feel much 'sympathy with his defence; hut when the Government persist in the expenditure of money which it is known must result in more losses, a feeling is created that anything would be better than leaving control in their hands. The committee which was appointed to deal with railway construction report that the time at its disposal Is insufficient to make a complete examination of any one of the issues referred to it, and that there is not enough time to report before the House rises. Such an excuse is pitiful in the extreme, and it will be most discreditable to the Government if they accept it. The enquiry can proceed when the House is not sitting. The report can be prepared and published and even if a special session is not called it can at least be dealt with as soon as the House meets again. We consider, however, that this delay. 'Should not be allowed to take place, hut that a special session should be called. This year the Public Works Statement was not laid before the House until October and there is no reason to suppose It will be any earlier next year. It has very much the appearance of a plan to secure that there shall he no interference with the work and that those employed, engineers and men, shall be kept on for a further twelve months on works which are worse than useless, for they will involve the payment of interest for many weary years to come. The witnesses examined by the committee are all officers of the Civil Service. Is no evidence to he taken from business men? Apparently it is thought that business men should be called in to run the railways but that any opinion they may have on reconstruction would be worth nothing. On this question of forming a board of business men to run-the railways, we think the Minister had much sense in his arguments. The ordinary experience of a merchant will not help in railway management. A man of outstanding ability could undoubtedly make improvements, hut what reason is there to suppose that such men would sit on a railway board, workhard and incur unpopularity for a salary that would not pay them for neglecting their own business. It Is a mistake to think that politics would be absent from the board- There would be as much wire pulling and intrigue with a hoard as with the House, the only difference being that it could not he challenged. We are growing into a habit of entrusting the Government of the country to, hoards consisting of appointed celebrities and I civil servants. In actual practice the

Givi] Servants are the effective members, the celebrities being decorative. It, will be remembered that in the ■' Mikado ” the mention of boiling oil 4 was introduced to give verisimilitude

to a bald and otherwise unconvincing narrative. The appointed members of these boards serve much the same purpose. We cannot think that it makes for good government to hand over functions to irresponsible bodies or to speak more exactly to. one or two civil servants. Even the Government is powerless in dealing with these local despots’ The constitution of a railway board would ’add one more to these irresponsible bodies. In the peculiar situation of the House it is possible that any attempt of the Government to come to 'a decision on the railway question would place them in an awkward position. The Labour Party are keen that work shall he continued to provide employment for their supporters. What the effect" may be on the country is with them a secondary question. The Reform Party have stressed the necessity of putting “a 'stop to useless expenditure. The United Party if they force a decision may have to rely on their opponents rather than on their friends. This is not a long-sighted view. The only chance that the United Party have of surviving between the upper "and nether mill stones is to do right regardless of consequences. Such a course would be so much of a novelty that it might strike the popular imagination and lead to victory. If the present profligate expenditure is to continue because party reasons make it undesirable to act the country must suffer and will probably i revenge its sufferings upon politicians of every party.