CAUTION NEEDED.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1926, Page 1

CAUTION NEEDED.

ADVICE TO HARBOUR BOARDS. AVELLINGTOX, April 28. A word of advico to harbour boards was given by tho Prime Alinister to a deputation which waited upon him today from tho Tauranga Harbour Board. There is a four-mile stretch of railway line, laid down by the Public Works Department from Mount Maunganui to a point on the line between Tauranga and AYliakatane, and the Tauranga Harbour Board is anxious that this piece of line, which was constructed by the Public. AVorks Department, not as a branch of tho ordinary railway system, but merely for tho purpose ol conveying tho material from' Alouut Maunganui for the continuation, of the East- Coast railway, should he used for the transport of goods landed at what is known as “The Alouut.” but without any surcharge. It was slated by the deputation, that there was a prospect of certain companies starting industrial undertakings at. "Tho Alouut,” and that the carriage of their goods over the line would be worthy of consideration from the revenue point of view. Air Coates stated definitely that the

section of the line would by no means l:-e regarded as a branch of the- ordinary railway system, but if the interests <onerened were agreeable the- commercial branch of the railway Department would lie prepared to arrange eontracts for the carriage of goods over the line.

He declared emphatically that the country was not going to be allowed to incur further losses on the branch line railway system if these could be avoided. If was no use to say that losses could bo made up from the Consolidated Fund, because in Hie end. tho people had to meet those losses. "Jn the interests of the people of New Zealand, I am not running into any more losses, it I can avoid it,” said Air Coates, in urging the Tauranga Harbour Board to he cautious in regard to expend it urc for wharves at "The Afount.”

Mr Coates remarked on the tendency of harbour boards to spend money on works when they should be conserving their expenditure until they were certain that the proposed undertakings would ho a. success. He warned Inc Tauranga Board against "lashing out'’ into expenditure on a second port at "The Alouut,” for which he was not prepared to grant, any facilities. Harbour boards should not speculate with public, money. They should bo satistied that they had a good proposition before they did anything. "We are not at liberty," . said the Prime .Minister, “to speculate with public, money, whether it is from the pockets of the ratepayers or the general public.”