MR. J. P. LUKE'S VIEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 788, 11 April 1910, Page 9

MR. J. P. LUKE'S VIEWS.

RAILWAY- CONSTRUCTION AND ' I ■ ; i'y-': Mr; J. P,'Luke; M.P. for Wellington! Suburbs, in the course of an interview said:-p -.■..'"..;. ( ' : -;•■■-■. .y,:fJ.-.-,'-:'-~- :: - ! . !'I. have.alwaysbeein against tho setting up of .-.organisations: that 'would re-, 3uit ;iii- dealing, with political and na- ; tional ' questions., on: a: parochial basis. I "feel'".'-.that.',, what is.' needed, is a,;/strong'...national sentiment' and a;'.': quickened ' ..life'-, in: order 'that the people may. "not 'lose sights of the requirements -of the : Dominion. : Notwithstanding the existing sentiment'the time has arrived—in fact, the urgency; of the 'case has' been, long: felt—when the; question of railway ■: construction should have consideration from the point.of view of what is best for the whole of jihe. people of the Dominion. Themost important question is: ; Which railways should bo, developed? '.'ln organising oh-this:matter, there should bo two objects, in-view.. First, itishould be considered how' best popular tion.can be attracted to those wide stretches •of 'land which, :if only rail- ■ ways wore . run through them, would quickly display their productiveness. As a result, ibero would be a .large- increase in the number of happy homes, and children would grow up in .'our , midst who would soon become a valuable asset to the Dominion. ■ "In connection with the second point, the extensive borrowing "policy which ;hasi. characterised the Dominion for many years 'has- resulted in the .necessity for. raising a considerable sum in order; that may 'meet our obligations;: The good , prices that have obtained generally -for the raw products of-the Dominion of recent years have permitted our people' to discharge their Labilities without any great ■;..-. anxiety, but-ifwe have a period of, years of , low. prices ; the strain must be 'considerable. ■;, I' maintain that it is.the duty of the Government to' develop . tho un-occupied-lands and settle them,' for the increased number of producers will mean ■a-larger output.' If low prices did pre- . time it: would cause considerabln';pnnnnmine •Ko . nfTantnA :, ■'■■

. -"'I hold that the linking up.;of tho lilies between Napier and Gisborne, and between Stratford and the Main Trunk, together with expansion of the north of 'Auckland railways, would be the 'foundation for a progressive railway policy, thoroughly sound, and in tho truest interests of the Dominion..'..' . •""-,

' "In this connection there is important ; work to: be done in "the" acquiring of Native lands for the purpose , of aiding settlement.. I travel over the ■ Main Trunklino and in other, parts/of the Dominion, and am pained to see splendid ; areae lying unproductive, and, in many-instances, being reduced in value by; the. noxious elements which are so prevalent. Yet these lands are tied up because of the Native disabilities. "To my mind, one of the greatest mistakes that has been perpetrated under the name, of,'railway construction , has been the,section.of which tho Otira tunnel forms a part. The £600,000, together with the other large sums necessary to complete the linking up of tho •East;and W.est Coasts of ..the-. South Island would have been very much better'set apart for developing railway enterprise ■"in> the North; Island. ■In the South,' numbers of privileges were acquired by the peoplo I when: tho North leland people had Native-difficulties to contend with in tho locking up of large areas of land. .This gave great impetus te'the developnient of railways in the South.■•• The time has arrived when it becomes the bounden duty of tho people! s representatives, to legislate for what is tho best for tho people as a whole. ":.-'■'.. '...■'

.; "In my opinion, there is nothing that would do more to extend the general prosperity of the Dominion than a vigorous policy in the direction of acquiring Native land on a proper and lEonesfc basis, proper provision being

raado for the Maoris, and of then pushing forward tho construction of railways to bring these areas into a stato of productiveness. For tho reasons given, I should feel it my (duty, as member for part of tho North .Island, and as oho who has tho truest interests of the Dominion: at heart, to associate myself with such a movement in tho Houso, and so to help forward a work that is absolutely necessary to make New Zealand tho country we all desire to sco it." „ '...': ■• ' •