RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 527, 7 June 1909, Page 6

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. / A TARANAKI DBPOTATION.Y A deputation fronvOpunake, which waited upon t£e. Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) on Saturday, elicited from him.an, interesting statement on tne general intentions ef tho Government :in ,regard to railway construcdid not obtain tho specific promise which, they 'desired. ~ "..,-. :,'•'■■. ' The object'.of,the deputation, which was introduced by Mr.: Div'e,-.M.P.,. was- to urge the Government to build a branch railway, from the main Wellington-New Plymouth line to Opunakp. :It was stated'that the cost of roading ,the l district had gone up so much that tenders for, metalling had recently, been as high;as £2000 per mile.. - Some lands, .were, rated as"high as ss. per acre,'.and '. yet-.the local bodies with their present revenue could not keep.' their roads in order.; They asked that-.tho railway should bo.pnt in band as soon as possible, as each year of delay meant loss to the district.-. The local bodies wero 'prepared to go to,the settlers and ask them to guarantee 3J per; cent, on -the'estimated cost of the line—£ls3,ooo.' * - -.. Tbe Prime Minister, in reply, said he was not in a position to make'any promise'on the matter tbat day. It would have to go before Cabinet in connection (vith the Publio, Works Statement. Ministers never made such promises, as it was essential that they should have all the facts fully before them when coming to a decision. In regard to the pro- I posed guarantee of interest on the cost of constrpction, he had intimated on a previous ocoasion tiiat the Government would _ bring down legislation dealing with that subject in a general way, and the. system to bo provided' r.ust be one that would operato equally in all He would not say that -they' most exact so high a Tate as 31 per cent.,'' A railway was.a pioneering institution to enable people to live in a more reasonable way, and it was only proper that time should be given to make a reasonable retnrn. In tho legislation to be introduced by the Government,' every•', consideration would bo given to tho views put forward by the-deputation, but the Government itself did not, as.yet, know what would bo necessary, and would not know until it qatne to deal with the, very difficult problem which the Minister for Public Works was'. now;; and .'would for some time, be'engaged, upon—the problem of providing railways within the financial limits of tho Government. 'Legislation had been prepared by the Government to ensure that there shonld not be a heavy loss to the Dominion on lines running through oountry that would not pay, for, axlegrease. Such things, had occurred,, and they ; wanted to repetition of-, the same. The Govornraent ■ did not rcqniTO to gMzd against good districts, 'but -against- thoso which could not give a sufficient roturn on the cost of construction. l

Questioned as,to when the legislation he had referred to would bo brought down/ the Prime.'Minister said it was ready and would bo introduced-at\ the proper time. The Hon. B. M'Kenzie (Minister for Public Works) also replied to tho representations made. Ho said it was .the'.-policy; of the Government to get the main trunk lines out of hand) and if a lino'was started,- it should be finisheS as soon as possible. ■ :