The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, FEBRUARY 10, 1902. ROADS AND RAILWAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 344, 19 February 1902, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, FEBRUARY 10, 1902. ROADS AND RAILWAYS.

Tile IVa.iraru.pa Times describes the Instore u- tiie colony’s roadways as often a fortuitous concourse of atoms which have been fought for and gained after inliuite iog-rolling. The writer in the Times does “ not remember, since the old Provincial days, which were essentially road-making days, any attempt being made to construct main lines of communication on a rational, far-seeing system, other than the great public works proposals of Sir Julius Vogel, which he had partly to sacrilice to malign political influences. Is not the North Island trunk railway still incomplete, some thirty years after it was designed ? Will it not lie another live years before a necessary arterial communication is finished ? The past records of our road-making in New Zealand have been ‘ a maze without a plan ’—a terrible waste of borrowed money, an extravagant expenditure of means for which the coiony lias received no commensurate benefit.” What we in this district have mostly to complain of is that wliile thousands can he found for what may be termed luxuries, it is always a pinch to get sufficient to make a fair show in the way of assisting the industrious settlers to hold communication with the towns. This wise policy is offered “ Leaving, the past alone, is it not wortli while looking forward to the future, and discerning what the roadways of the next generation will he, and’ to what point our fossilised Public Works Department will have to work ? It must he borne in mind that in the matter of roadways we arc twenty years behind the times ; and that, ultimately, we shall have to follow the lead which has long ago been given to us, both in England and America ; a lead to which we are wont to shut our eyes. New Zealand requires to be roaded' on a defined system, and in the term ‘ roaded ’ we include (1) trunk lines ; (2) Light Lines ; (3) metalled roads, and (4) unmetalled tracks. In the future the light lines must feed the trunk lines, the metalled roads must feed the light lines, and the uumetalled roads must feed the metalled roads. By a comprehensive and intelligent arrangement of this kind, the whole colony can he roaded efficiently and economically f but as yet the expediency of some such defined action is unrecognised by the rulers of the country. As to light railways we are told that at present the light line is 1 the missing link ’ in our roading policy. Other colonies, as well as England and America and many Continental countries, discovered 1 the missing link ’ long enough ago and supplied it ; but here in go-ahead New Zealand, it is declared, our Ministers of the Crown are veritable Rip Van Winkles. They have heard of Light Lines but have have never seen them, and know very little about them. Like Paganini, they still stick to one string, they liave only one stereotyped method of construction, which is as fixed as the laws of Medes and Persians. In vain people demand a Light Line, to cost a thousand pounds a mile, for they at once say, ‘ We can give you our celebrated live thousand pound a mile pattern, which only takes twenty years to make. We cannot recommend any other article, or allow any other article to he supplied.’ The 'Government are like Mrs Partington mopping the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean was too much for her, and the Light Line will ‘eventually be too much for the Government. At present the mop of the Public Works Department may keep it back ; but it is so essential to the roading of the colony that it is a mere question of time for its advantages to be generally recognised. It has been the mission of the Masterton Weber Committee to educate the Government and the colony on the subject, and the committee has so far scored that it got a Light Line Bill read anu printed in the 1901 session, and hopes to take a further step in advance during the session of the present year.” The Wairarapa journal evidently does not know that at least two Ministers have, expressed themselves strongly in favor of Light Lines, but apparently it is the slowgoing Department that is keeping the brake on the Premier and Ministers. It is something unusual for Mr Seddon to he held in check in this way, hut it is evident that at least for once he has his own ideas overshadowed by Departmental influence.. ■