RAILWAY POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 4

RAILWAY POLICY.

Ijianother column', we print a letter in which ■••■Me. Samuel Vaile discusses with his usual force. and clearness one of his favourite complaints : against the: Government. The subject of his, communication is one that we,have dealt with times out-of number during- the last two years, namely, the Liberal Administration's- monstrously unjust and foolish policy of penalising the North Island, in the matter ofrailr way construction for the benefit of the over-railed' Island across' the Strait. The table compiled by Mr. Vaile shows that although every year the wisdom and propriety, in the interest of the country as a/whole, of devoting to construction in this Island the major gart of the money.

available, the bulk of the construction has taken place-in "that part of the Dominion which is proved to have the' least natural resources, the least population, and much the smallest trade, which contributes far the .least revenue, and which any statesman ought to bo able, to. see is' already over-railed." In 1880 the rail-mileage in the_ South,. 1137 miles, exceeded that in this Island by '466 miles,_ .an d to _ this day the South has maintained its preference, in the allocation "of the construction funds.' 'In 1895, the mileage in this Island had increased by 88 miles, while the increase in the South Island was 96 miles; Ten years later there were 159 more miles of railways open in ; the North, but the increase m the') .South was 222 miles. At the present time.there aro' over 1500 miles of/railroad in the' South, as against only'lloo miles in this Island.. 'And this despite the fact.that the trade and'the!population of Island are in excess of the 'trade and population in '..'the South—despite the. fact- that' the railways pay here,'while they lose hundreds of thousands annually across the Strait; : ; ."When : ,wc remember," Me. Vailb observes, "the immense disadvantage the North has been placed under by the persistent locking-up, not only of .its Crown and Native lands, but also the lands held in it under the Lands for Settlement Acts, in addition to .its deprivation of its .fair' share of transit facilities, it is difficult to understand how the North has not merely held its own against the South [in ' the matter of ''net revenue"] but has far outstripped it.". .', ■ We may resume-here a few.of .the official figures which "we :• haye'_ pub-: lished in tabular form 1 from time to time. The following table shows- the "net profit on workirig"i for a series of : '.;'".'.' " v ;; i:, -"- : " ::::}':: :-r.y ' ■•■■''■■ North, ".::;;■• South. V.y.V-NV.':-.:': ■:.:■"■■■■■£ v-'.'.'';'.£ ...: 1901-2 '................'..„". 218,692 v .403,657, 1902-3 '■■.'._....',...:.;...;;..:■- 247,898 382,724 1903-iV:. ;;.....- 305,900 '.'..436,017 1904-5 :.............;......: 322,301 ': .394,030 1905-6 '"''......;..;..........; ■ 328,866 ,"I 399,599, 1906-7" ~ ;;..„...;.., 382,374 " '429,717. 1907-8 ■'.:.:.........'..;.-;......' 416,000' ,-; '.'.' 396,179 4908-9 : :.: ....,..:..... .420,031;':-' '. 394,679 It must .hot be forgotten , that in every 9ne of these years there were between 400, and' 500' more.miles of railroad operated by tho Government :-in- the South, than;' ■in .the] North.. The disparity between the earning powers of the two systems is shown : very'• ■ clearly; by. the following table, -which gives the "net return' onith'e capital invested:— •]■'■■■■ ■: '■■■;.■.■:'-;;• - North; 7 -South.; ;' : ' ' ■ Per cent.-'. : Per cent i .■■^Je':...' : ■'v:' ! .'■'i■:■;,.: ■'■■ 1901-2 . ,™.._..'- 3.04 :?.:.-: 5.69^"- -■■ 1902-3 ■ ............ 3.20: : . ' 3.39 " 1903-4 ■:...„:.....;' 3.72: ::'./: 3.50 ■ :■" 1904-5 ..;......;.....:3.70. .'..-.: 3,03 ... '.' . 1905-6 .'•... :' 3.60 ;; > ';..2.99. .:' ■■'■: 1906-7 AM -'-' "'- : : '3.02 ■>■ '1907-8 -"";;..,....;..: 4.2B;.'•■'■.'' : ,2.71 -:■'■■. ; - 1908-9 ........... 3.78 V : 2.64-■."■•'

,There;haa.:been: a steady rise in ;the, one case /and a general fall in the: iother.-:; Yet the 'contihuous'and; obstinate dropping away; of the earnring power of the'over-railed"South has.ne'ver''struck the .Government,,as it must strike every sane and honest person, as the strongest possible reason: for ceasing to construct any new lines in that Island at,all., ;V. _■.'...'/' .•'•.: Is it any .'wonder that the railways: have : lost millions under- the Liberal Administration when, in , order.; to buy, the support: of "Westland;:. Oanl.terbury, andOtago, the Government 'has'used.the',bulk'; 6L money in- the 'place where it. should I not' have -used- more -than:. a/,.small- ! fraction.'of the sums: available for construction ? Any ;private person or firm doing business oh the lines of the Department would; quickly find : himself ■ in-;', the Bankruptcy Court. We lately ; received; a circular from : the ; Auckland ••Eailways League, the latest of,whose vigorous efforts to enforce increased -railway' construction,' in' the .-North'took the'* shape of a. memorial' to-'the Prime Minister regarding;the North Auck-, land Main Trunk.Railway.' To olir mind what is more '•■ 'urgently re-, quired than a"district or provincial League ib a'-.' North:; Island : Eailways League—3; large and; vigorous body; which would /apply"- such pressure .to Parliament ras would -sweep' away tho monstrously anti-national policy that has for years been pursued by the Government; The North Island, members of Parliament,- by, ing in/that -policy, 'or at most criti-' cismg it mildly and quite ineffectively,- have-iailed ' Bignally in their duty, not only to the people of this : Island,. but; to'the/.whole country, which cannot/but suffer as a whole 1 - though the bulk of the disadvantage lies upon the "North.-. Island--when the administration of. the £30,000,000 'railways 'system is/ thoroughly ■ unsound.;:/ ; : ; ; ' :////'-■ "'.-■"'/ v/";.