FUTURE RAILWAY CON-

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 925, 19 September 1910, Page 4

FUTURE RAILWAY CON-

;• ■;:■■ ;\v; V V-'^-X'' :: ..-The' deputation from , the., North Island/Railway League" which'waited on the Prime Minister on Saturday last will nbft we trust,; be diverted from jifa purposely.:, Sir ; Joseph Ward's reply to ./its request. The head of 'tho! Government was' merely adopting . thosei:/ time-worn 'tactics' with, which tho public fortunately, is growing familiar enough 'to/be'able to appreciate .them at. their/real worth. "What-has .'the amount, which the Government has spent, annually on'public works in past years to do with the merits of the request placed before him by, the deputation 1 We air know that • something over .-two millions a year lias /been 'spent /on public -works—we : know- /"that ■■' this year £1,750,000.is to public works. What the country does not know, is, that that money _ has been, or. is to be,''well, and wisely spent: ,We,' have pointed out. how the Smith Island'has been unwisely favoured. in'the. matter of. railway expenditure 'and' railway"ratesv.at the expense of'the'country at large. 'Despite'.'the fact that the Northi' Island lines give a much better-return than the.South Island lines, railway development has been, pressed on in the South, 'and-the'North; comparaspeaking, neglected. " : /Sir Joseph Ward 'states/ that' he does; not regard the matter as a question:' of North v. South.;, He treats,the Dominion's a whole./ This no .doubt would be, the . proper attitude ' to adopt, but ,his ' statement./, docs '-not in,the least alter the; facts. Settlement has -progressed,' and is still progressing, more; rapidly; in the North/Island, and railway^construction', is more urgently "required there than in -the-South.' It-is not' merely that/the railways in the/North pay .their way,: while those in the South do not.. This direct.result, is suffi-cient'in-itself to prove to any unprejudiced -person that it would.pay the country better to spend the bulk of its available money/ inthe North; but in addition to this I ..direct return must be '• considered the indirect bonefit to the whole country—North and South,. East.and . West—which must/result from railway access to tho most productive portions of the Dominion. No one.with.the interests of the country at heart would think of inciting the Ward /Government to 'increase/its.'■:rate' of borrowing—it is reckless enough without; that, despite'.thd' Prime-Minister's, professions of virtue:. What:is wanted is that.,the money available, should be spent to the best advantage; whether the; amount.is one million• .or " five millions, and it is perfectly obvious to everyone who has given the least attention ,to the subject that at. the present times so, far as railway construction is concerned, the North Island offers, an infinitely better.field for investment than the South! No 'private individual or public company, would hesitate a- moment in making up its mind on the subject; but the' Government, unfortunately, is more concerned with political.considerations • than with. the interests of the country. It!is well, therefore, that! the Railway League and all who view the question of railway development from a broad national standpoint should 1 combine to, force the Government to move in the/right direction. ' ' ■■..'■