RAILWAY POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1581, 26 October 1912, Page 2

RAILWAY POLICY.

« CONSTRUCTION WORK. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. WASTEFUL METHODS TO CEASE. The lion. W. Fraser (Minister for I'ub. lie Works) imliilged in some straight talk 1o a Napier deputation yesterday, regarding tho methods of railway const ruction in vogue in New Zealand. "It will bo remembered that on the «vo of the last election tlia Government I lien in power showed a feverish haste to start work on the long-Ibokod-for Nnpier-Gisborne railway, and a section of the line was taken in hand beyond the inner harbour which separated (ho work from the main line to the south. This meant a certain amount of wasteful expenditure., mid that money used for earthworks would bo lying idle for one or two years. The new Minister for Public Works, in yiow of the fact that he found himself to a considerable extent hampered for want of ways and means, stopped the unproductive work until thu necessary bridgo was first built. The action raised an outcry in the district, but the Minister remained firm. To-day the deputation put their eass before him. Mr. Eraser, in reply, staled he could assure the deputation that ho had come to the conclusion to slop the works with considerable regret, lie was, however, faced with this position—ho had a certain amount of money at his disposal for the year, and ho believed that roads were more important in a young country than railways. It had therefore licen his endeavour to framo his estimates so that he -would have as much money for roads and bridges as they had in tho previous year, 'That being so ho had cut down in tho direction ol railways. Tiore were no fewer than 2!f separate sections.of railways being constructed in New Zealand to-day. On looking into matters he saw very plainly that it would be necessary to curtail expenditure upon a considerable number of these lines. Tho impression had been that Napier was specially singled out for attack, but, that was not so. Expenditure was being stopped, or would bo stopped, in a short time on at least ten lines out of tho twenty-three. He asked them not to imagine (hut this was aiij pleasure to him. He only wished he had the money to keep up the snnui inlvj ol expenditure as they had last year. It became his duty to look round, aid sen where ho could spare expenditure with tlio least disadvantage to the country as a whole 1 . Amongst other lines he had his attention drawn to this one, because, it was a disconnected line, and onangoments were not complete in regard to tho bridge. There was no uso in going on with earthworks that could not be used until the bridge was completed. It sim ply meant capital lying idle for a Year or two. lie was bound to obviate Unit if he could. And he could do nothing eise than what ho had done. He had been accused of wanting to stop the line, but he assured them that in such accusations tho Napier newspapers were wrong. As to the route, he thought that question hud better not be raised. The •■iigiueers had settled that point, and their decision would bo adhered to. He would be perfectly frank with the deputation, and tell them that whether 'his (enure of office were long or short he would not advocate expenditure simply for expenditure's sake anywhere. (A member of tho deputation: Hear, hear.) He would only agree to expenditure in a business-like way, so that tho country would get the full advantage. (Hear, hear.) They must not assumo that he would spend money simply because it was a case of spending it in tho vicinity of Napier. That system had been stopped. Mr. Ellison agreed. He said ho would never take any part in a deputation with that object. Mr. Frnsor: "I know that." He added that when the bridge was completed it would bo an easy matter to overtake any temporary delay that might be caused now. .. ;Mr J ...Davc:..Xes,_and ; _piiLon 500 men instead of 50.' Sir. Fraser added that there was no doubt our railways were costing us more than was necessary because of their spending money in dribbling small, sums. That was a wasteful way of carrying on public works. One could not alter the method nil at once, but he hoped before long to be doing the work in a better way. He hoped to be in Napier himself before the end of the year, and in. the meantime the engineer could be smoothing the way for future work. Ho could net put anything on the Estimates this year, for the simple reason that ho did not know where he was going to get the money from, and ho had a great, objection to loading the Estimates with money that he did not intend to spend. He was dependent upon the .€1,750,000 lean yet to be raised, and if there was a delay for six or eight months it meant (hat tiie amounts on the estimates could not be spent Half of the whole amount would not bo available. C-abiiiet did not intend to run recklessly into debt if they could avoid it. In conclusion, Mr. Fraser expressed the hope that the work would not bo long before it was started again, mid in the meantime he would place the views of the deputation before Cabinet.