The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1910. THE RAILWAY REFORM MOVEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 785, 7 April 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1910. THE RAILWAY REFORM MOVEMENT.

"The Ministers of the Crown knew their work, and did not tako any notice of the severe criticism they were constantly being' subjected to by people who did not know what they were talking about." With these bold words the Hon. ft. M'Kenzie wound up a banquet at Whangarei on Monday night, and we suppose that wo should therefore abandon the work of correcting a, Ministry that considers itself entitled to do exactly as it chooses. But Mr. M'Kenzie, perhaps, was only endeavouring to explain in a picturesque way his indifference to the opinion of the common people, He did not .mean that he would really treat the Government's criticß with the silent contempt proper to

an overlord ' burdened with disrespectful .vassa,ls; for he has so far noticed the protests- against the manner in which the expenditure on railway construction is allocated as to offer a, "reply." As we stated yesterday, the sum of £449,500 was voted List session for railway con-

struction in the South Island, as against only £287,500 in the case' of this island—and this despite the fact that the. South Island 'already possesses 1574 miles ,of railways, on which the return for 1908-9 was only 2.64 per cent., while in this island there are, only 1135 miles of railways, which returned 3.78 per ccnt. \Vith that valour born of ignorance of the" subject which ho has exhibited in his ridi cule of Dn; - Bell's geological woi's and in his over-riding of the joint opinion of several engineers as to a railway route, Mr. ! ' M'Kenzie decided, to attempt a statistical reply to the facts and figures -we have His "reply" has probably set his chief thinking once more upon the un.kindness of fate that forces iipon him-colleagues who seem to be always saying and doing indiscreet things.. He proceeded to urge that of the £449,500 voted for Southern railway construction, £72,000 ) y as for works completed-some time ago. This does not, or course, altor the position in the slightest. Even if it were not an utterly irrelevant statement, it would still leave untouched,the, fact .that the allocation of the: funds was,.as it. has been, for many -years, foolish and unjust.' Mi}. M'Kenzib went on to make a further statement, of a most remarkable nature "For roads last.year," sa ho is reported to liaye said, "the North Island was voted £195,00 C more than the South' Island. The combined vote's were—North Island, £635,750;' South Island, £603,743." We suppose that Mr, M'lCenzie feels that there is some sort of connection between the roads and the railways, and that the public will spe some relevance in his statement. We must pay a/tribute to his moderation. He might eas.ily have dragged in / the . number .of pillar-boxes erected, the tons of State coal supplied, the number of Ministers residing in tho North Island, and anj other statistics which give the North a majority. But even if it were not quite absurd to quote the expenditure on roads, there would bo a sufficient reply to the Minister in the fact that compared with the Soutl; Island,-which is a network of perfect roads almost from top to bottom, the back-blocks of this island are comparatively roadless. In the meantime we are glad tc note that there appears a,t last to be a general awakening of the Nortfc Island to the importance of securing ii proper allocation of public monej on railway construction. Of the &ve metropolitan newspapers four— the Auckland Herald and Star, the local Post, and The Dominion—have sxpressed themselves in favour of reform in •' this matter, while some of the best provincial journals take the same view, This is an encouraging prooJ of the fact that a persistent reforn: campaign /that is based on reasoii a.nd justice is certain to succeed ir the long event. For, nearly twe years The Dominion 'received little pr no help from its contemporaries in its advocacy of the theory thai the unsatisfactory state of the railway finances is largely due to the unfair p.nd unwise policy of pampering the unprofitable South at the Expense of the people of this island, The sheer weight of facts bas told however, and, as we have said,' the movement for reform can now counl an the support of the principal news papers and of a growing number oj public men in this island. It is im possible that tho representatives ir Parliament, of North Island con stituencies can maintain any longei their apathetic neglect of the inter 3sts, not only of their constituents but of_ the country as a whole. Ii the Ministry chooses to make the question a party question, it mus; take the consequences. There is m need, however, for the introductior of party into the matter, which is ; national matter, and in which the interest of the Government sup porter, is the samo as the interest o: the neighbour who is opposed to tin Ministry's legislative and adminis fcrative methods. We are not quifo sure whether the "North Island Oon gress" suggested by the Aucklam tlerald—a Congress to consider "all' pressing questions—is really re quired, but of tho ncoessity for ; North Island Railway League thcr. can be no question. The Aucklam Star need not feel any anxiety con cerning tho charges of "parochial ism" that may be brought agains the movement for reform. That is; charge which can hardly be advancei by a community which, amounting to little more thau two-fifth of tho nation, and furnish ing only two-fifths of the ex ports, yet possesses three-fifths of tli railroads, and receives three-fifths o the annual vote for fresh construe tion.