The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1929. SOUTHERN TRANSPORT.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1929, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1929. SOUTHERN TRANSPORT.

One of the damaging omissions affecting W r estland, of ttie Reform party came into power in 1911, was to drop the extension of the railway into South W’estland. The Liberal Government had • recognised the importance. Af, the work, and in the Public Worlds') Statement just before the general l Selection / when S r Joseph Ward’s Ministry t was defeated, the claims of the line for construction were recognised, and the commencement of the work was provided for on. the Estimates, and the oonstruct’on of the line authorised by Act of Parliament. The then Minister- of Public-Works in the Massey Sir William Eraser, failed to provide for the work in 1912, or proceed with the previous Government’s vote. As if to add injustice to inqurv, before the Reform Government went out of office prim to the last election, the Ministry took the trouble to repeal the Authorisation

Act, and consequently the work is now outside the pale. It is true, of course, that Mr Coates indicated the line would not ho proceeded with, and that he promised an improved highway, and that is n aterialising by degrees. When it was found that the Government railway was a dead letter, private enterprise took up the matter of extending a railway south, and to-day the private line of Stuart and Chapman Lid. penetrates far into the south, and taps a great hush area, the haulage of the product of wh.eh would have paid handsomely towards a permanent State .railway, besides providing greater facilities for wider development of the sawmilling industry in the south. The subject of the railway is called '. mind by the meeting of settlers held at Wailio Gorge last week when a claim was made for concessions in carriage of goods at railway mileage rates, similar to the like privilege enjoyed over the Murchison district roads. The concession was granted in the north prior •to the earthquake visitation, and naturally is of great assistance to the settiers, and is a special a.d to settlement. The southern people will he quite within their rights and have good ■ grounds for asking for like treatment. In making their request they can state the facts: that the Liberals promised the railway and provided for its initiation ; that the Reformers refused to go on with "the work, and promised a good road. That service road being now provided and lorry traffic a ready possibility—if the. Government will not provide a railway to open up the State lands benmirg a rich crop of timber, why not place the settlers on the same level as those up north, and provide, cheaper road freights, so that the settlors can' the quicker and more economically settle the large area ol Crown estate waiting development. The settlers have a very good case to take Up and good grounds to work on. The district is proving its work for settlement purposes, and the produce is of excellent quality, More population is needed and more peoole will V induced to go into the south if facilities are improved and overhead costs reduced. It is a handicap of course to trek over long distances, when more fortunately placed settlers in other parts, have the railway at their doors It is hard for settlement to fail i ( served with good communication, bul South Westland has flourished though the communication for long years liabeen indifferent It would be interesting;, t» know.-what is the final .verdict of -the- authorities as' to tlie extensor of the railway south. _ Unless served hv rail, how' is the crop of timber tc be recovered economically - as the Dominion needs the supplies? There arc huge timber reservations in the South, and the time' is arifiving for the authorities to declare the policy for the future. If the railway is to gc on, it should be started quickly for ai the best progress will be- slow, and to earn the freights possibly the railway should be tapping the standing timber as the market serves. The whole subject miirht well b-e. opened up and fully investigated at this juncture, - s ., •