NO FAITH IN THE NORTH.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 841, 13 June 1910, Page 5

NO FAITH IN THE NORTH.

THE RAILWAY EXTENSION., A MINISTER'S FORECAST. An astonishing statement; regarding tho future of the North Auckland'railway was made by the Minister for Railways (Hon. J. A. Millar) at Auckland on Thursday. In addressing the members of the Paniell Tunnel Duplication Committee, the Minister, referring to the expanding traffic over tho Auckland section of the New Zealand railways, said: "I know you gentlemen anticipate an enormous increase from the North Auckland trunk line, but I tell you that I don't think it will, over pay a half per cent., and the further you go the worse it will become." Members of the Committee: Oh! The Minister: You have only been working tho best part of it that will be run for years. You have only been working as far as Helensville, there getting tho whole of the traffic, and in the extensions made you will find, as wo find, that it is quite unpayable. Mr. G. L. Peacocke (president of tho Auckland Railways League): I know there is poor country from Helensville to the present railhead, but there ia good country beyond that, and I maintain the further you go the better you get. There, is a population of 50,000 in the North. The Minister: Yes, but you have to compete with water carriage. - ' Mr. A. J. Entrican: I would like to call your attention to the complaints of those in the north about freights on that line. A fruitgrower at Port Albert thought ho would send a shipment of canned fruit from Wellsford to Auck-. land by rail. When he came to inquire into freights, ho found it was cheaper to carry his goods to. Helensville by boat, and then rail them to Auckland.. Ho found it cheaper still to send the fruit by boat to Lyttelton, and thence back to Auckland. Tho Minister: I know perfectly well that tho railway cannot compete with sen, carriage,, and I say if we can't carry goods at a profit they will have tc go by pea. I am not -going to run the railways at a loss, if I can help it. Mr. Arthur M. Myers: But would it not bo advisable to encourage industry and trade by cheaper freights? The Minister: The railway freights ara ' already worked out to scale for that purpose. Mr. Entrican: It is rather an anomaly that tinned fruit cau be brought from America at a cheaper rate than it can from the Kaipara. Tho MurirAsr, in replying to a deputation later in the day, again referred to the subject. He remarked that' at present every mile the Kaipara line advanced the less payable it became. "It may get into better country later on,' he remarked, "but I do not like th 3 look of it at'present."