RAILWAY ROUTES

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1929, Page 2

RAILWAY ROUTES

SPEECHES IN THE HOUSE,

WELLINGTON, July 9. “I expect that Reform members will be pleased with what I have to say about railways,” began Mr H. R. Jenkins (Parnell) >in the House, whereupon Mr Samuel (Thames) retorted, “You mix it a bit.” Laughter greeted this interjection sinoe some of Mr Jenkins’s earlier remarks had drawn emphatic expressions of dissent from the Reform benches.- v\ Quoting figures in support of his argument, Mr Jenkins said that although the revenue from railways had increased by £5,000,000 in the period from 1912 to 1926 the working costs has also increased so ’heavily that the actual return was no better, 'barely 4 per cent. He said he believed the advice of the general manager in 1921 to repair the railways at a cost of £10,000,000 should have been carried out, because the number of accidents had more than doubled since 1918 when thd .pumber was 805. . . •

“Although I take this stand regarding the railways, if it comes to a division I am going to vote with the Government,” declared Mr Jenkins. “I am doing that because the Reform Government failed, and the people of New Zealand voted this Government in on its railway policy.” Cries of “Oh.”

Mr Nash (Palmerston): Are you supporting the' South Island main trunk completion? “That is the only one I would support if I supported any,” replied Mr Jenkins. Mr Nash: Then you don’t know where you are. Stating that he was suspicious of Public Works estimates, which were frequently exceeded, Mr Jenkins said he was nervous 'of the projected expenditure, fyecause those figures could not be relied upon. An estimate of £27,000 per mile had turned out in the case of'a railway in the Kaipara electorate to be short, the cost being something like £BO,OOO per mile. He believed, however, that there was a national aspect to consider, as far as the South Island line was concerned. There was a' military aspect too. A time might come when it would be necessary to shift foodstuffs, men and munitions in the quickest possible way.:

“THE ONE RAILWAY.” “The one railway I consider sound from the viewpoint of economic results is the Paeroa-Pokeno,” declared Mr A. W. Hall (Hauraki) during his Address-in-Reply speech. He had been arguing that no railway extension should take place without careful investigation of the economics of the proposal and he gave a confident assurance that the line he favoured must pay, because it would run through country already having a big output, and would shorten by fortyseven miles the route to the rich Bay of Plenty. He could not personally see any argument against this line, nor had he heard one. Public opinion was so strongly in its favour that the Government could do nothing else but go on with it. All the Opposition wanted was the fullest investigation of the proposed lines, and the question of North versus South did not come into the matter. The Hon. T. M. Wilford: You approve of the Auekland-Taranaki line? Mr Hall: I certainly do. Mr Wilford (obviously relieved): That’s one.