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Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1931, Page 4

The report of the Railway Board will bo read with great interest particularly in those localities affected v by the sweeping decisions of the leport. The Board has been working steadily at its task, and the conclusions reached must be accepted in the light- of an impartial review bv a Beard of experienced men outside, of political influence. The interest bill which the country has to meet on capital invested in the railways is a very large sum. According to the last Financial Statement the interest totalled over two and a quarter million. Of that large sum over a million and a half had to be provided out of general taxation. There was occasion therefore for a close overhaul of the situation. The report reveals a- very large sum sunk in the railway construction work now propo-ed to be shut down, for the Board can Oply recommend, and it is for Parliament to deal with the recommendations. As regards the works affected, it has to be remembered they were undertaken in brighter times. Even the Main Trunk line of the South Island was given a special impetus less than three years ago when Stir Joseph ■Ward passed into power. Good reasons were given at the time for pushing on the work, and Parliament voted the money readily 'enough, while at the same time stopping railway works in hand in other parts of New Zealand. To-day the financial position is such that it is difficult in the extreme to obtain loan money in any volume to prosecute railway works, and in the ordinary course, with the present financial position, a halt would have to be called. There is a difficulty created at the moment by the hundreds "of men thrown out of work, and the Government or the Unemployment Board, will have a fresh problem to f?ice when the renort of the Railway Board is adopted. There is also a- large capital sum proposed to lay waste op which the payment of interest must continue. The suggestion is that it is better to stop now, rather than go on adding to th--> rani tel sum which would require greater interest to he paid annually. However. Parliament has pow to face the portion, which is a serious phase of the general economic position of the Dominion.