RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1649, 16 January 1913, Page 6

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

POSITION EXPLAINED BY THE HON, . > W. ERASER.

<By.Telfijraphi—Spc'oial, Oorrceponflont.) ■ ; Aueklandi January 15. The HoL 'W. Fraseky Minister; for. l'ub* lie Works, is exhibiting a refreshing candour and a strength .of rnihd that deputations accustomed to Methods of past years tire finding somewhat nowi A typical example was. furnished at liotoruo, when nn important deputation urged many and weighty reasons for the construction of a railway; i'rom ltotorua to Taupo, this to serve instead of tho proposed private line. Mr. Fraser eaid that tho wliolo tiling Wns h qUCStibh of money. 110 would ihofc 1 deprecate tho weight of the arguments brought forward, but could only say in reply to them that thoro was no money available.: i'rosent settlement demanded more attention thqri I future settlement, ahd the Government must give settlers at present on the land some mcAns of coiuuiuilietitiott to bring about proper agricultural development, but, as he had said. nothing of tho kind suggested was possible Without moiiey. To say that the Government hod enough money in hand to build railways would bo betraying a profound ignorance of the subject. He was liot opposed to the Taupo line, far frolu it, Iti fact, he did not wish to, discouragc tho . deputation, but he did not set the possibility of constructing the railway when all the money at present • being borrowed was nlteady pledged, There was no doubt that tha't connection between liotorua niid Tcuranga would soon be rendered essential, ns ft good route with nn easy glade was Obtainable, yet ho could only repeat what he had already said as to the prospects for its construction in the immediate future, He was as anxious as anyone to see tho 'financial conditions improve; and w-.hon a change was elTectcd he would do his utmost to assist development in a district of the potentialities of the liny of Plenty, As to the construction of a private railway, he Would oilly nay tliut it was moro a question of policy ' than anything else. The Governinetit had laid dowll the priilciplb that All railways should Ire State-owned. Nevertheless, his own personal feeling 111 tho innltcr Was that if pHvato enterprise was willing to undertake ft heavy responsibility lilto this, the State should not Ire guilty of a dog-ih-tlie-iualigei' attitude. ■'