The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1928.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 March 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1928.

MAKING 'I HE IUILWAYS PAY. IHK Uitiic-uky about making the railways pay lias been a very present trouble tor some years past. I lie statement about the future of the railways made by the Prime Minister recently confirms what lias been repeatedly said of late as to the gravity of the State’s transport problem. Nothing more difficult faces the. Government, considers an Auckland paper, than the reconciliation of the claims of rail and motor transport, and the framing of a policy that will protect the huge investments of the community without hampering progress. The State now has between hfty and sixty millions locked up in railways and is spending another fittee'll, Motor transpot is eating into its business, and by encouraging the formation of good roads the Government is helping its competitors. It is a world-wide problem. Current mows from Britain shows that the railway companies are feeling motor competition so severely that they are asking Parliament for special powers to meet it by going into the road transport business themselves. Not only arc the motor transport interests opposing this grant, but they are preparing to forestall the companies if the latter are successful. The reference in the cable news to huge motor passenger vehicles which will average thirty miles an hour and provide meals, and carrypeople at rates lower than those charged by the railways, shows how formida.ble this competition is becoming. What is being done in England will be in. time possible here. * The Prime Minister says that at present ‘‘we are meeting with a keen competition, which means a loss of £1,001),000 a year—that is, road competition alone.” The statement is not clear, hut it is sufficiently alarming. Last year the Ipss on the railways arrived at by adding together the deficit after allowance had been made for interest payment and the subsidy paid to branch lines from the Consolidated Fund was £545.000. While, however, this loss was partly caused by motor competition, it could also be traced to factors much older than the motor truck and service car. If the Department is losing, or is about to lose, twice this sum owing to motor competition alone, it is in a very serious position. Mr Coates, however, is confident that it can hold its own. Money is now being expended, he says, which in a few years will put the Department in a position to compete successfully with the motor. Losses may be incurred in the meantime, but they should be borne cheerfully in the expectation of a future profit. It is satisfactory to find the Prime Minister facing facts in this courageous and confident spirit, and it is to be hop-

oil his confidence will be realised, lie 1 may tie lorced, however, to adopt more 1 mastic measures. I*or instance, is j! I necessary to Keep all these branch lines open wneu uicy have to be ■ siuiscu; lhe iiroutem lias an aspect .mu is not loiniii in tile English controversy. Here me State ts me oalter . , iiio rail a a.\ s, so the Lio\eruiiie'iit amt j . .Hiliinieiit win Oe tempted to use tno ..tales legislative power to protect H* asset, aim in the resale private inter- , ~is may sillier anil trnnsport V'-giess ■i eneeiieu. .Moreover, n mu-t not supposed time wane me Hallways ..epartiiit-m. is preparing ui meet m0,.,r ~,r iimipeuUori, me luot.ir interests ...i> o: in It*. Joy me time .Mr tmuis ~ , cany ne may Hate lo mem an ugl .lieau i-qui|ip-v. u ilu vai lulls linpri-'.c- . ..en is. .mu as mile goes ny ircsil ~.millions v, ill arise ana ( iiciiiiisian. es a ill alter the oialnuK. mi mat a>- , unit mere is nut much louiuiuuon tu i.,e Ijeiiel mat m me eiiu Ltic railways ..di 1.0 i.. tutor own. It appears it ..M i,a ne. assure lor me (nil ei imn ia . mu kc us road transport problem .. restrictive monopoly Just a.- u nas nano with Hie ran..-,., 0.. i t.n.i niigm it...i colt* a stii».-.e. .is iigtiru.s m.ti a.-p.-ii- the Go'crnir.ent lias me mailer m its ui'ii nanus, and n disposed io net should move promptly W'lore \esieu interests become too widely cstalnislicst. From every angle the problem ionc calling for too closest consideration. In the course of bis political address at Westport last week, Mr H. I'i. Holland, Leader ol the Opposition, was at some pains to show that Mr JSedtlon and several other Liberals cl id not support .Mr Holland's adverse motions, some of which were no-eonlidence motions. This, however, need not be a matter of surprise, but it would have been a surprise bad Mr Seddon supported Mr Holland's no-confidence motions. As a matter of fact Air fcjetliloii voted in accordance with his election pledges, and consequently is not lilameable in the matter, rather tlio reverse. The Labour Opposition in any case can not expect much general support from the Liberal Opposition, because there is a wide gull set between them. It. is consistent of the Liberals not io vote with Labour, however niiieli the former may In* opposed to Reform. This does not mean as Mr Holland sought to infer that therefore "the lines of demarcation between the present Liberals and the Conservative Government have disappeared,” for as a matter of fact Mr Holland weal on to quote circumstances under which the Liberals had voted with him, but not on questions of confidence. In that the Liberals were quite consistent, and tlie voting showed they could exercise discretion in a reasonable way according to the circumstances. Any reflection therefore which Mr Holland sought to throw upon the member for 1 Westland was not warranted. Mr Seddon was pledged not to vote with Labour on motions of no-oonliilenco in the Government, as the Liberals as a whole have no desire to accept office with the assistance of the Labour votes. Labour’s opposition to Air Sedilon’s platform was of course expressed ay the presence of a Labour candidate ' at the general election, and no doubt that will be repeated later this year when there is another appeal to the country. We may take it therefore that there ii a sharp division in the electorate as between the sitting Liberal and any candidate Labour may put tip, and as a matter of course the Liberal .so elected is not likely to be a follower of Mr Holland on crucial divi- . sinus in the House. Air Seddon’s eanj didature and bis actions in Parliament were on very frank linos and l there were no political sins of oinis- . xion or commission when he <1 id not vote with Air Holland on every and all , occasions. Air Seddon acted frankly in accordance with his political pledges.