THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, FRIDAY, OCT., 16, 1914. THE NEW LOCAL RAILWAYS BILL

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 16 October 1914, Page 4

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, FRIDAY, OCT., 16, 1914. THE NEW LOCAL RAILWAYS BILL

Tnoruii much lias been said by j the Opposition, against the Premier's Local Railways Bill, which eventually passed the " danger-post " last week by a large ;:nd substantial majority, j our opinion is that the measure j is both opportune and much required, in fact, had sudi a one been in existence years ago. settlers fur removed i'rom ! civilised roads and bridges I Avould be now happily located! on their hack-blocks sections \ and in touch with the greatest [ of nil benhts, i.e., a ready " market. The hue and cry.of the Opposition hits been that the measure would play into the j hands of capitalists and ex- j pluiters after boodje, but surely j any Government in power can ! be trusted to look after the ever-to-be-dreaded monopolists, j Besides this, a railway to cr! from anywhere, and the "why | and ihe wh<.Ti:i't.-n\ lias to be | authorised by the Government j U! p'^ver before- a private j syndicate- or company can make ! a new lino, and as 'to Govern- j mc-nt purchasing \\ ]c same f rom ; the owners, the careful eon- I ; si deration of tertiis, benefits, ! [ etc., are also provided for in the |'

Act, so that the whole working machinery of it can safely be left in the hands of the reigning Government and Parliament. Of course the main object in view for the making of private railways, will be the opening up of the land and new markets t'hc working of old and valuable timber bushes, <rtc, and the only regrettable incident with the new meisure is that lightline, narrow-gauge railways are not included in it, Such an inclusion would have made it much easier in rough country for the small capitalists to build railways, when there would then be lines in more isolated places. A narrow-gauge rail way is no detriment to the wide-gauge, because one is easily made transferable to the other in the case of goods and passengers.