The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1910. ANTI-NATIONAL RAILWAY POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 784, 6 April 1910, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 1910. ANTI-NATIONAL RAILWAY POLICY.

In:■ our -issue of . yesterday ,we printed a telegram from Hastings of 'an' unusually cheerful and encouraging nature. The Hastings Chamber of Commerce,', after discussing ■ the railways resolved to communicate with all the other Chambers of Commerce in this island "asking if they'are favourably disposed tothe formation of a Iforth Island Railway League to be composed in the first instance of 'members of Chambers of Commerce in the North Island, and to.be formed for the pose of endeavouring to get North island' mernbers.'ln Parliament to combine and obtain 'fair play for the North Island in .railway management and expenditure' generally." As our readers are aware, the grossly unfair and financially-'foolish policy of persistently spending in the" overrailed and unprofitable South Island the bulk'-q'f: the money available'for railway construction is a subject to which The Dominion lias for long devoted special attention. The formation' of a. North Island Railway League was suggested :,in"the"se columns some time ago, 1 and it is naturally gratifying to hear, that the need for the League is being recognised' in other"centres.". To-day we are given some observations', by the Chairman of the Auckland ' Chamber of Commerce, who says, that the idea of a North Island' League has been discussed by the Auckland Chamber from-time to time,- that; in his opinion; -the time is ripe for the establishment of such'a League. He goes-lon .to. say- that.-,no_w that the. North 'tsla'ijd holdsi ithe" balance "of power in Parliament .so.far as njern: bers are coricerped," "there seems, no reason why the Government should not." he forced", to .accord proper treatment. to this island.-.'

It is.certainly a,m'azing that, in a House in which the North Island members"arc'in :a majority, nothing should have been done to put an end 'tp the' Government's fantastic 'policy of pampering the South' Island at the expanse:of the North. It is bad enough that.the,users of the North Island lines,! have for spine years. returned more than 3| per cent, oh the; capital.invested, should be exploited in-order to make: up part of the deficiency on the Southern lines, which 'have never paid their way.' But every year the Government'actually allocates more for railway construction' in the South than.in this island. 'We have scopes of times quoted from' official records to show, riot pnly the unfairness, but the national'folly, of this policy; but we may take .this opportunity to quote some of the'm< again.'. On Frir day we shall.be able to give the returnsl for the current fiscal year- up to March B, but in the. meantime.we have the figures only up to February 5 (311 days), and these are. as.follow:—• '■'■■■.':. '''.:'..■.

' . Net Capital Keturn ..'return. . cost, per •;'-',T B ■'■■''■ nt : North' .;! 410,446. ,13,040,612 3.14 Iputli '....427,888 15,817,986 .2.70 The railways, in: the South_ Island have- a mileage of 1574 miles as against, 1135 miles' in this island, so that we get the following comparison pf the earning, capacity of the twp systems:— :, ' .. . .--."■ /, ' "■■ Not, ■' ■ Net, : Earnings return. Miles of per niiie. ■.''£'■ rail.. £ sV'd. North ■ ......... 410,446, 1135' 361 12 '6 South ....... 427,888 1574, 27116 11 The inferiority of the over-railed South as a field far railroad enterprise ■ was even greater than this in past years, as the fallpwing table, giving the "net return" on. the capital invested, will make ' perfectly clear :-r- . ..'■.' ■ ■■■■'■ North. South, percent, percent. 1903-4 ' 3.72 ' 3.50 1904-5 3.70 3.03 • 1905-6 V. 3.60 .■-,-:■ 2.99 1906-7 . ...:... - 4.11 3.02 1907-8 4.28.. 2.71 1908-9 • '■■ 3.78 . 2.64 : And in spite cf the plain lessen pf these figures, which to any Government that desired to conserve the national finances would appear as a command to cease spending money in the evor-railod South and tp devpte overy available penny to the underrailed but profitable North, the Gevernment persists • in ppuring hundreds pf thousands into the Southern sink. Tho £736,000 voted last session for railways construction was thus apportioned: To tho South Island ...... '.£449,500 To the North Island .£287,500 - For years the North Island members have sat almost'silent while this unwiso policy has been carried cut. Although it does not, on a population basis, receive its due representation in Parliament, its representatives are a roajprity. They have never attempted, howover, tp act in concert, and this is doubtless due to the fact that several cf. them are so slavishly. devoted to the . Ministry that they will,not make a stand against ' anything that the Ministry chooses to do. Those Northern, members in the House however,; ,;whp -, can., seo . that 1 tho interests of jihe ' country as.' a ,iiv^-:■,.;/■:< ... \ -v V ,"-..'■ •:>'•

whole* and not merely the interests of this island, are injured by the Government's policy, are sufficiently numerous to_ make- a continuance of that policy impossible, for they .can count, we believe, on the assistance of some, at least, of the Southern members; As we have pointed but in earlier articles, nothing really effective can be achieved by the "formation of separate local Leagues. What is required is a North Island League that shall force the Government to abandon a policy that is harmful to the whole country—a policy'so inappropriate to the conditions that no sane man could adopt the principle of it in running his own business. Wo trust that the local Chamber of Commerce, whose annual ret port is full of statistics condemnatory of the policy of spending the bulk of the railway construction funds in the South Island, will make a favourable response'to the circular of the Hastings Chamber.