N.Z. RAILWAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1933, Page 5

N.Z. RAILWAYS

CONDITIONS IN BILL

PRIVATE CONTROL OF OLD LINES, ) (Per Press Association Copyright.) WELLINGTON,' March 8. In the House, :on 'the .introduction o«the Railways , Amendment Bill, Mr Forbes said it gav e Hie Government power to negotiate with private companies .for taking over t.ffij railway lines wliidh h:d been abandoned. Inquiries had been made, in the Gi®* borne district about the possibility of taking over a line there. He would not say. a company was .prepared-to take over the, line, but the Government was asking for power; to carry out negotiations,, in case some company did want to take over the line, and run it for the benefit of th e people of the .district. - -• ■ Mr Armstrong (Lab., Christchurch Edst) : Wliy not put the unemployed on to finish the. lines; Mr .Forbes; It i* sot-a question of finishing .it; It is a question of running it after it has been, finished. The Leader of fhe Opposition said that if a private company could finish the line, 5 and ruir it successfully, that., was surely- a declaration of ■ in-, Competence /An the .payf-Gof / the Goveiliiment.. Surely-/ •tluv, correct': polity ! Was for the . Government to- /complete . the line instead of parting with State, assets, they should be consolidated, Mr Forbes : It not an aKSpty it is G. a liability, '■ / ■ K Mir Holland said that Mr Forbes must know that ■no private . -company would take over a . liability- tHiafc : ; had ~ been incurred to date. The ’unemployed should he engaged on the completion .of the line ' Other Labour members contended the line should bo completed by the Government instead of * being handed over to private enterprise. Mr C. L. Carr... (Lab;,. Timtfru),•. suggested the ..Bill was .the thin-;end; of th e wedge. It was- possible the ' Government would eventually abdicate control of the railways altogether,' to private enterprise. A ’Mr ;K. S. Williams • (Goyt., Bay of Plenty),' .said that when the Government, declined to complete the. Walroa— line, he approached \Mr Forbes, and asked if the Government would , allow a private company to..take over the undertaking. Nothing could be done in the formation of a syndicate until it was known, on. what, terms; the . Government was prepared to negotiate. He could not promise a syndicate would the district’s point of view, <tbafc if the Government would not, complete the line, some one else should be given an opportunity' to do so. * ‘/- • D’.Mr S. W. Coleman (Govt.,' Gisborne) gsud Gisborne people would... prefer the line to be completed by tlfie Government, but failing that, desired an opportunity 'P to bo given someone ..cleoG to do > the work. • ■ Th e Bill was read the firSt. time,