The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1928. RAILWAYS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1928. RAILWAYS.

The debate in the House of Representatives this week on the Budget, though rather colourless and indicative of merely delivering speeches for the benefit of constituents, contained at least one speech from the Government side of the House, suggesting that the followers of Reform have not lost their right to criticise the policy of the party openly. All- J. R. Hamilton (Awarua) said he proposed to confine bis remarks to criticism of Public Works policy. He noticed that about 35 per cent, of our expenditure was on railways. Times bad changed, and with the advent of the motor-vehicle lie doubted the wisdom of going on with a railway building policy. It was generally acknowledged by those who knew that the East Coast railway “would not pay axle grease,” and wily should they go on doing what was bound to end in loss? Motors were in every way more serviceable, and would do all that anyone required. Wlmt, then, was the use of building lines that were only to become white elephants? Mr Hamilton was evidently an outspoken critic on the latest Government railwayknown as the East Coast line of the North Island. Mr Hamilton was the first to traverse the policy in the House from the Government side, but some influential papers on the Reform side in the North Island have not feared to be equally outspoken. The Auckland newspapers in particular made a “set” against this proposed railway from me first official announcement on the subject. Such action is suggestive of the intensity of the opposition to the line in question, and is reason enough for Mr Hamilton to carry the subject to the floor of the House. "What be has had to say in a general way will l:e approved, and before any railways are proposed or sanctioned the economic service they can be when constructed, should be thoroughly investigated. One of the reasons advanced for the construction of tile East Coast line was that it would tap forestryplantations, and eventually be required to haul the product to market ! This is rather a far-fetched idea, seeing that the railway is to be built while the trees are .growing. If it is desired to tap forest growth m plenty—a forest of high market value now—then the South Westland railway should be extended. The southern forest is virtually- all crown lands, so that the Government can recoup itself in a double way. The harvest nature has provided without cost to the country can he reaped through the sterling value of the royalties, while the railway- would earn the freight for the haulage of the product to market. A further advantage to the Crown would he that the land cleared in this profitable way, would be available for pastoral pursuits for which the southern territory is proving so serviceable. What has been done and earned already by railway construction south of Hokitika, is demonstrated by the railway line to Ross. This line carries and will continue to carry for a considerable time yet, a profitable freight in timber haulage. Not only i.s it a payable service over the short section of line in use, but the freight feeds the other lines of the Dominion. By that we mean that the average truck of timber coming over the Ross line also continues on its journey over other sections of the South Island railways, and as so much trade is done with the East Coast, it woukl not be out of the way to average (lie transport ope hup-

dred or more miles of railway transport. In this way we see what a factor the Ross line is. And that line touches only the fringe of the South Westland forests. By extending the line, every valley of the numerous river flats would he tapped, and so a supply of timber would be reached- which would take seme generations to exhaust. Here, then, is a proposition for a payable railway freight, if the Government is anxious to build railways to timber supplies, and if that be the frame of mind of the Government, then' the South WRstlaiul Railway Extension should be pushed to the best advantage.