LIGHT RAILWAYS FOR NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 211, 31 May 1919, Page 7

LIGHT RAILWAYS FOR NEW ZEALAND

(To the Editor.) Sir,—ln Saturday's issu,e of one of the local, papers there appeared an account of Mr. i'urkert's evidence before .tho Parliamentary Industries Committee' regarding the advisability of purchasing light railways for the country districts. In regard' to this evidence I would like, 'both' as a, farmer of 20 years' osperienco and as a relurnej soldier, and one who' has had no little experience' of'Vtlieee. light railways in France, to put a few facts before the public whieh have boon either overlooked by Mr. Purkert or of which ho has no kuowledge. ' ' '

Jn order that tho general public will not he' misled by what .was given great: prominence in your report. I wish to point out that Mr. I'urkerf, an'expert 1 in all matters regarding souud'engmeer-' ing policy, is not one entitled to judge, whether such a schema is likely to be a sound' commercial and economic proposition, and that most of his evidence, us far as engineering is concerned,' was more in favour of than against the scheme'. : - "" :

. Mr. Furkert stales that a two-foot gauge would be too. narrow, in fact almost a "toy railway." Had Mr. Fiirkcrl. read the papers during the last lour veivrs, had he taken the trouble to make himself familiar with the amount of difficulties ■'overcome by means of • these light railways, had he .realised' that thie was no toy war, necessitating the Wife of "toy" railways, which supplied Hie front lines with ammunition from ammunition dumps la miles behind Hie lines, did tin> greater , part of the haulage of provisions,- thousands of tons x>f barbed wire and other requisites, he .i\;ould not .lie prepared to doubt their usefulness in-the-Wkblocks of s. young country like New Zealand. : Not 'oiily were these "toy" railways used'for transporting war.iußterial, lyit continually they were used lo convey whole companies from place to place, and anyone who has actually seen these in use and seen their great iisoi'nlness wilt admit that this l.s n point on which Sir. J/urkert ie jiot competent, to speajc with;authority. ■ -.■■.'■'. • ■

i am quite prepared to admit that theso railways will not be available for some considerate time, till France has her regulation railway system in full .swing again, hut tins' is no argument against Die advisability of purchasing these railways once they are available, nor is it nny argument against their usefulness in'ftew Zealand, liven if the French Government were-,to-retain thesL' -for use throughout! France or her colonies this only shows -what advantages such a system has when, put to commercial.uses, ■add that its uses are thoroughly realised. ...The.only alternative for effectively openin? up tho country is the extensive use of motor lorries. I agree with Mr. Furkert that motor lorries are- not advisable for long distances, and that it would Jiot bo -a sound economic move to improve the present roads for motor, use in preference to establishing n. light rail.Ttty.- scheme, for, to t«ke a concrete exani|ilc, during the winter months the motor torry system is at a standstill as lav as backblocks roads nro concerned, while-during the sumnior. months there will bs work enoush for bolli.

It secnis.-.frgm Mr, inirkert's evidence that he considers this light railway eys-tc-m, as a:'method .of -passenger transport. 'J'liis, however, is not tho use the light railway is adapted to, nor is', it the use for which it is required. It is primarily ameansof feeding the main lines, and (if ■■developing , tho back country,' and'of sup-" plying tho produce which bo materially wiables tlie , towns to exist. As a freight l train it stands alone. For the carriage' of wool, -.grain, sheep, 'timber, ijrowood," and metai for.backbloek roads.it is especially suited. ■ However, for passengertraffic..it is neither needed jior of use. v There is littlo or no travelling done by fhe ■ baclcblock former, and- whon it -is neceesary to come to town ho usually has his <>wn means of getting-tb-lho railway.. Fence speed is not essential. The liiio can bo laid over circuitous routes, planned to open up the most country, add so'as Mo incur tho least expense in construction. .

Tho coiietriiction of these lines involves no great "expense or difficulty. They ref[iiiro no largo embankments to carry the rails, no' 'big cuttings are required, as they |can go round the foot of epurs and other obstacles, thus having a great- ad.vantago over' tho heavier typo of railway which requires that the line should contain.no sharp turns a.nd should bo fairly, straight. _ In short, these light railways can , twist and turn iu circles. Tho lines can bo laid down over country across which it would bn impossible for hor.se and dray t° travel.

As to the laying of tho line, in many eases tho sleepers are made of iion and attached to the rails so that a- section of .10 feet is laid down at; a, time. This iron-sleeper is about eight inches in width, and-concave ou its under -surfaco, so ihat in. tho case of damp ground when once, placed on the ground and passedover by the train it is held iu plnco by suction.

Should a. lino be superseded by <i regulation line or be found to be opening up little -country or not paying its way, it could, with little expense- and in a very short time, bo translerrcd entirely to. another district which showed belter pros■pects of advance. , ■That this'liglit railroad-will be superseded by the regulation lines is inevitable, but as half a loaf is bettpr than no bread fi'o"-a,leo ie a-iiglit'TaiHvayMieiter. ■than no railway i<l:'nil,. arid this \vill'do the necessary hauling to and'from.the back-blocks country until replaced by the regulation lines, which under the jivcsent'Govcrnment system of giving bacl;,country railways will take tsome hundreds of years .to materialise.—T. am, etc., - ' ■■;■ .-'./■'' ' - 7 -.EH,H., Farmer,-