RAILWAYS COMPLETION

Evening Star, Issue 22451, 23 September 1936, Page 12

RAILWAYS COMPLETION

SLENDER EVIDENCE OF PAYING THEIR WAY MR SEMPLE’S RETORT WHO STARTED THESE 11 POLITICAL RAILWAYS ? " [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 22. Opposition speakers on the Public Works Statement were critical over what they considered the slender evidence on which the Government had decided to resume construction of railway works suspended by the former Government. Mr Broadfoot (Waitomo), who opened the debate, expressed amazement that there was no report from, the Railway Department regarding either the South Island or the Napier-Gisborne lines, though this department would have to operate them. It had already failed to pay the full interest required on its capital, and judging by the way the Government was _ proceeding, _ there would bo no contributions of interest from the railways. Doubtless, they would explain that the railway service was of social character, and no profits were needed. This meant another in. crease in the already high taxation. There was a first-class port at each end of the South Island mr't trunk gap, also freezing works, and therefore he saw no chance of large stock traffic. He suggested that the Government would be wise to consider making a thoroughly up-to-date motor road. The Gisborne-Napier line also had ports at each end, and it ran parallel to the coast,' not through an inland route where twice the area could be served. Mr Meachen (Government mmber for Wairau) characterised this criticism of the South Island line as absurd. To suggest a cumbersome system of combined road and rail transport over the present gap was stupid. Mr Bodkin (Opposition, Otago Central), who strongly urged the development of irrigation as more important to increased production and'larger railway revenue, described Mr Semple’s recent statement regarding -uncompleted railways as being mere generalities, unsupported by facts. There was a long report from the Fields Superintendent, who what the Marlborough farmers told him of transport difficulties, though _no_ attempt was made to give an indication of the numbers of stock on the land to be served. Having motored over the route, he saw no sheep which could be takeir to freezing works, as they were of a type suitable only for wool growing.

Mr Fortes (Leader of the Opposition) did not discuss railway construction, but_ urgcd_ the to back his engineers in securing a fair return from the co-operative contract system. His experience was that the engineers were fair minded, but they would need support from the Minister to make a success of the system. „ Mr Hargest (Opposition, 'Awarua) was another critic of the South Island main trunk construction. He declared that nobody travelling north of Christchurch would spend eight hours in a train and then take a ship across Cook Strait when the present service gave a comfortable overnight trip. He considered it significant in the Chief Engineer’s report on the Napier-Gis-borne line, that a comparison was made between rail and road transport, with the suggestion that there would be a necessity for control of cut-throat competition from the road services. The Transport Law, passed this session, would enable the Minister to refuse licenses to road operators who had built up services on this route, and he hoped the Minister would explain exactly what he intended to do when ,the lino was completed. He preferred this railway to the South Island work, as it would undoubtedly develop settlement to a greater extent than in Marlborough, where the climate was not so good, and the area more limited. The Minister of Works, Mr Semple, replying to the suggestion that his reports on the railways was incomplete, declared that it was not his aifair to present documents from the Railway Department. This could be done by the Railways Minister. If there were political railways, as the Opposition suggested, -who started them? The party which was condemning the Government for completing these lines, for there was not a Labour man in tho House when they first commenced. If they were political stunts, it was not a Labour Government which started p.e stunting. It found six millions invested in stopped railways on which the taxpayers had paid £2,543,000 in interest. There was no possible return, and the Government decided to try to create a little bit of prosperity out of the confusion and chaos. Over three millions had been spent on the NapierGisborne line, and he marvelled at the audacity of Opposition critics when the Government was trying to make the best deal it could. The work was so far advanced that it was stupid to stop it. for one year’s interest would complete communication to Wairoa. No railway paid immediately, but it created development and population. He was satisfied that this would be the case with the Napier-Gisborne line. It might be that the South Island line would not meet with the same degree of success, but this remained to be seen.