IMPROVING THE RAILWAYS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2281, 15 October 1914, Page 4

IMPROVING THE RAILWAYS

Pkoit.e in Wellington and other important centres in the Dominion who have had to put up for years with railway stations which would disgrace second-rate provincial towns, and country settlovs in various places who have suffered similar disabilities, will no doubt be interested in tho hostile. rcccDtion -&c-

corded by the Opposition Party to the Railways Improvement Bill when it was laid before the House of Representatives on Tuesday evening. The tactics pursued by the opponents of the measure are transparent enough. The fact that such a Bill should be necessary is a condemnation of their own past neglect, and it was only to bo expected that they would endeavour to obscure this very plain and uupleasant reminder of their shortcomings when in office. At the present time the hands of those who coutend that for ■many years, under the- rule of the Continuous Ministry, the railways 'were grossly mismanaged, are strengthened by the able and lucid report which was recently presented by the General Manager of Railways (Mr. E. H. Hiley). But even before Mit. Hiley's report was available many of the worst features of railway mismanagement were plainly visible to anyone who cared to look into the question, or, for that matter, had occasion to use the railways. Responsibility rests, of , course, with successive Railway Ministers, of -whom Sir Joseph Ward is a prominent example, and upon the i members of the party which is now pouring abuse upon the efforts of the Government to improve matters. Somi years ago the Continuous Government b'uiltan extravagantly costly railway station at Dunedin,, and yet to-day, when Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch stand in. much greater need of up-to-date sta-

tions on account of their heavier volumo of trade, if the samo party who demonstrated so noisily on Tuesday had their way, they would go without'indefinitely. It is evident that the absence of modern railway facilities at the principal ports and in other important centres of the Dominion has seriously hampered both the goods and passenger traffic, and greatly retarded the development of the railways system upon which the development of tho country as a wholo so intimately depends. If the policy of the Continuous Ministry had been not by political considerations, but by regard for the interests of the country and a just recognition of business principles, the railways could easily have been maintained in a state of working efficiency, and the country jieed never have felt the burden. Tne stations and other improvements required would havo been provided one at a time. Because no such reasonable policy was followed by the predecessors of the present Government the country is now faced by a- somewhat heavy cx-

penditure in remedying the multitudinous defects which accumulated under the "Liberal" regime. But a-ssuredly the last men to make this a pretext for attacking "the Government should be those who are responsible for this large expenditure being'now required. / Tho schedule of works recommended by Mr. Hiley, for which tho Railways Improvement Bill makes financial provision, is about as striking a condemnation of the past administration of tho railways as anyone could desire. The, General Manager recommends that the sum of £3,250,000 should be raised and spent over a term of five years. VThe amount asked for," he remarks, "appears large, but nothing has been included without the most careful consideration and investigation, and I am convinced it is absolutely necessary if the transport business of _ the Dominion is to be conducted in a satisfactory manner.",,. Mr.. Hiley adds that there are other improvement's and facilities which must be provided in the near future, if not at once, unless the progress of tho Dominion is to bo retarded, but that he has not

taken the responsibility of asking directly for them. beoause of the magnitude of the sum involved. Ho has confined himself to recommending the most urgent works. The schedule of works includes new stations and yards at.Wellington, Auckland, and Chi'istchurch, and five other towns, including Palmerston North and Hastings, a number of duplications and grade-easements, a new ongine depot at Auckland, additions to the workshops at Newmarket and Petone, and other improvements, including signalling and interlocking gear, estimated to cost nq less than £250,000. Al-though-the Government is taking authority under the Railways Improvement Bill to raise the loan re-

quired to carry put the works recommended by the General Manager, it is, of corirso, impossible to obtain it in the present state of the money market. It is only possible meantime to echo tho hope expressed by tho Prime Minister on Tuesday, that the first instalment of the loan may be procurable beforo the end of the war.

The people of the city and pro- / vine© of Wellington have suffered to' the full the effects of past maladministration of the railways. The inconvenience imposed on suburban and long-distance passengers to and from the city on account of anti-

quated station facilities is proverbial, and equal disabilities are imposed upon settlers whose produce passes through this port en route to its market abroad, and np"on those who use the railways for the transport of goods. Nothing more than bare justice is clone to the city and province in the proposals that a commodious and up-to-date Central Station for passengers and goods should be put in hand at tho earliest possible moment. The oxisting stations at Lambton and Thomdon ■ire condemned by the General Manager in the statement that neither of them is laid out in a manner conducive to economical or expeditious handling, having been added to and patched as increasing traffic has necessitated. The plans which have been prepared show a passenger'station (with five platforms) fronting Bunny Street, and a goods-station slightly farther to the north, with an entrance from Waterloo Quay. It is necessary, Mil. Hii,ey remarks, that thq station should be adjacent to the wharves, especially the Perry Wharf, to facilitate the exchange of both passenger and goods traffic. Tho talk of Opposition speakers in the Houso on Tuesday was so ob« viously inspired by party spleen, and had so little reference to the actual state of the railways or the needs and interests of the country, that upon tho whole it contains its own refutation. Mrch was made of a contention that the policy,of the Government should rather bo to push on with the construction of ■ new lines than to provide "luxuries" in the cities. This is, of course, designed to create the impression that the' Government is neglecting the back-country settler. TJnliap-' pily for the Opposition, this attempt to 'mislead the "public is a. little too thin, and is 'completely answered by the fact that the Government lias already made it quite clear that not only are public works to be pushed forward with all speed, but the country people are to be afforded special facilities for, railway construction apart f\'om tho Govcrn-

ment's own programme. Moreover, the so-called "luxuries"' are not luxuries at all, but, according to the General 'Manager, absolute necessaries. It is highly desirablo that tho railways of the Dominion should be extended as rapidly as possible, and it is essential to working efficiency that tho development of the depots at tho ports and centres of population, and the provision of adequate rolling-stock, should keep pace with the extension of the mileage of open lines. It is only in this way that the lines can bo used to the best advantage, and the interests ol the country settlers, as well as chose of the ordinary travellers, best served.