TO OPEN UP NEW COUNTRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 16

TO OPEN UP NEW COUNTRY.

A CHEAP & RAPID MEANS. MOTOR WAGON POLICY. BIG POSSIBILITIES AHEAD. One of tho most enthusiastic advocates of motor traction as a means of opening new districts is Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P for Wellington East. In the articlo below Dr. Newman, in response to an invitation from The Dominion, describes what ho considers might be done to benefit country settlers in this direction. In reply to your suggestion that I should give my views on this great question, Mr. Editor, I am glad onco again to get tho chance of preaching this gospel. Three years ago, when in England, I noticed motor omnibusos in lonely, little-frequented districts threading village after village, and running from railway station to railway station. I was 60 struck with its success I resolved to advocate it in Now Zealand. A big railway company in England has in its territory a quantity of land remote from its main lines, but not thickly peopled enough to pay for a branch railway. It meets and overcomes tho difficulty by buying a motor onan'feus. This omnibus runs on a timetable; it leaves a Tailway station and runs many miles into the country. It runs through several villages, picking up and setting down passengers—in effect the district is railroaded. . It is a policy of bringing a railway to every village, and it greatly increases the traffic and profits of a railway. This policy is growing in favour in the United States, in Canada, and in Europe. Tho Policy for New Zealand. Everywhere in the Dominion are heard loud outcries for now branch railways. These branch railways are always talked of us profitable feeders. They are really bleeders—for they very seldom pay more than, working expenses—and the interest is nearly all a dead loss. Many a district cannot now, or for a century, pay to profitably open up by a railway. The trne policy is to open, them up by putting on a motor omnibus and a motor wagon service—mn by the State as part of tho railway system. The advantages aro:—

(1) It will pay handsomely where a railway will spell heavy loss. (2) In many districts the service can be instituted at once, without wearisome delay. (3) It will open up districts where a railway will never pay. (4) It will save borrowing millions of money. (5) Within the last twoycaTa a great number of districts can be opened np. I hold that it is the greatest, the most profitable, the most splendid policy that was ever invented for New Zealand. The fact is that most of our ideas so centred in railways must bo thrown away as antiquated, obsolete. Railways are horribly costly, in many cases absurdly inefficient. The advent of the motor-car has changed all our old ideas. Melbourne has a rope tramway which was a great advance in its day; but it is costly and is now superseded by electric trams. But the days of electric trams are numbered—superseded by various forms of self-propelled motorbuses. The English municipal and company tramway owners are not extending their tram lines—they put on the much cheaper bus. The electric tram, with its huge cost, is out of, date. So also the whole railway system has to be reconsidered. Scarcely any new railways will bo made—except for very large and heavy traffic, and for large and big passenger services.

Tako London as a centre, and draw a circle with a radius of 50 miles. All the farm produce within that circle is gradually being eaten up by motor wagons and lost by tho railways. Take a village 50 miles away: motor wagons can start in tho morning laden with butter, cream, eggs, vegetables, fruit, etc., drag them to London markets, call anywhere for goods, and return the same night. They beat the railways for speed—because tho goods are carted to tho station, then loaded into trucks, then after a time railed to London, then unloaded and loaded into carts to go to market. Some farmers in Berk-

Bliiro put ou motor buses: they used lo pay tho railways X')o :i week; tho molor.-s do it for ,£ls, and tho goods uro merely bandied, not broken or dirtied. As 1 walked down a. Wellington street last week I noticed coal being delivered at a houso by a motor engine. Next day a motor was delivering tho washing from a laundry. Lower down, was a motor-car delivering groceries, and a motor wagon delivering and receiving parcels and removing furniture, and a self-propelled wagon cleaning a house, and tho mails collected by a motor vehicle. Whenever I talk lo friends of my pet gospel, they reply triumphantly, "yes, imt they havo roads iu England!" Have wo not built thousands of miles of excellent roads in New Zealand lit to-day for motor service? Cannot I tako you, Mt. Kditor, in a motor-car from hero to lea- ■ therston and Jlartiuborougli, and through Die valley everywhere to Jlastcrton and tho Taueru and Langdale, and Whareama and Tinui and Castlepoint; and from Jlastcrton to Danncvirke, to Weber and Wimblcdom, and Titreo? Cannot wo motorfrom hero up (ho Manawatu line, and Manawatu and liangitikoi, etc.? If a motor-car holding six can go all over the district, why not a motor wagon holding 1G or 20. After all, a motor bins is only tho motor-car for tho many. Good Roads Cheaper than Railways, Of course thero aro many roads that want metalling, but surely it is a cheaper national policy to complete theso roads than to miild costly railways. - * Motor wagons and' motor omnibuses run from Bcathcrston to Miartmborough. Motorcars could Tun from Eketahuna to l'ongaroa if some ten miles of road were metalled. By building a few small bridges, a motor-bus sorvico could ran from Waiinarino to Tokaanu ot Lako Taupo; and Wellington people bo within 12 hours of tho Hot Springs and the finest holiday playground in this island, Lake Taupo. From Tnihapo draw a lino running N.E. to tho corner of this provincial district—thero is splendid country at Moaivhango, Erewhon, tho country drained by the Rangitikei River, Owhaoko, Mangaohane. It will not pay to make a railway, but it will pay to perfect tho present main road, and open up that wide scope of country for small 6ettlcment. It is curious how set people are against the enormous benefits of this motor traffic. A man was pooh-poohing tho idea of wool being carried by motor wagons. I said, "Is not a great deal of wool carried by traction engines in Otago and Canterbury?" After all a heavj - , cumbersome traction engine is only a motor wagon becoming obsoleto. A new oil motor is carrying barley from Lako Hawea to tho railway; All the fruit grown in Central Otago can bo profitably carried by motor wagon—far better than by a costly railway. ' Districts that Could bo Served, Tho benefits of this policy must be triumphant. A little while ago in the Rangitiiei district I saw a man driving a motor wagon laden with cream cans to the factory. The motor started in the morning, on its journey along its routes. At the gates of farms were small raised platforms, and on each 6tood a tin of

cream. The motor picked up the tin and carried it to the factory. Suppose it took 20 cans: formerly 20 farmers raade 20 journeys with milk. To-day ono motor does the work, and saves such a lot of trouble and expense. If wo put motor omnibuses and motor wagons upon our roads, remote from railways, what a boon it will prove to the settlers. I think out the benefits of this policy, the more enthusiastic I feel. Take this province. We can quickly, easily, cheaply open up the fertile Wairarapa East, and the great Moawhango district. By making roads we can open up our great Waimarino block and the land lying to tlie north of the Wanganui—Patea district and the fertile lands between Wanganui and Ruapehu. When this i 9 done, what an enormous increase there will bo to the trade and tho shipping of this city.