IMPROVING THE RAILWAYS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 31 October 1914, Page 13

IMPROVING THE RAILWAYS

Peoit.e in Wellington and other important centres in the Dominion who have had to put up for years with railway stations winch would disgrace sccond-viitc provincial towns, and country settlors in various places who have suffered similar disabilities, will no doubt be interested in the- hostile, reception -uc-

corded by the, Opposition Party to the Railways Improvement , Bill when it was laid before the Houso 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 unpleasant reminder of their shortcomings when in office. At the present time the hands of those who contend 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 Mr. 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 Sin Joseph Ward is a prominent example, and upon the members of the party which is now pouring abuse upon the efforts of the Government to improve matters. Som£ years ago the Continuous Government built an extravagantly costly railway station at Duneclin,, and vet to-day, when Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch stand in much greater need of up-to-date stations on account of their heavier volumo of trade, if the same pa-rty who demonstrated so noisily on Tuesday had their way, they would go_ without'indefinitely. It is self? 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 the country as a whole so intimately depends. If the policy of the Continuous Ministry had been governed, 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. The stations and other improvements required would have been provided one at a time. -Bocause no such reasonable policy was followed by the predecessors of the present Government the country is now faced by a somewhat heavy expenditure in remedying the multitudinous defects' which accumulated under the "Liberal" regime. But assuredly tho last men to make this a pretext for attacking the Government should be those who are responsible for this large expenditure being'now required. / The schedule of works rer-om-mended by Mr. Hiley, for which.tho liailways Improvement Bill makes financial provision, is about as striking a condemnation of the past administration of the 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. "The 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 he provided in tho 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 Christchurch, 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 Petonc, and other improvements, including signalling and interlocking gear, estimated to cost no less than . £250,000. Although -the Government is taking authority under the Railways Improvement Bill to raise the loan required to carry put the works recommended by the General Manager, it is, of courso, impossible to obtain it in the present state of the money market. It is only possible meantime to echo tho hope expressed by the Prime Minister on Tuesday, that the first instalment of the loan may be procurable before the end of the war.

The people of the city and pro-, vince of Wellington have suffered to' the full the effects of past maladministration of the railways. The inconvenience imposod on suburban and long-distance passengers to and from the city on account of antiquated station facilities is'.proverbial, and equal disabilities are imposed upon settlors whoso produce passes through this port cn_routc to its market abroad, and up"on thoso who use the railways for the transport of goods. Nothing more than bare justice is done 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 Band at the earliest possible moment. The existing stations at Lambton and Thorndon are condemned by the General. Manager hi 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, Mr, Hiley remarks, that tho station should be adjaceut to the wharves, especially the Ferry Wharf, to facilitate the exchange of both passenger and traffic. The talk of Opposition speakers in the Houso on Tuesday was so obviously 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 the whole it contains its own refutation. Mrch was made uf a contention that r.he policy, of the Government should rather be 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 thiJ Government is neglecting the back-country sotttar. _ Unhappily for the Opposition, this attempt to mislead the "public is a. little too thin, and is completely answered by the fact that the Government hag already made it quite clear that not only are p.ublio works to be pushed forward with all speed, but tho country people arc to be afforded special facilities for railway construction apart fvom the Goycrn-

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