FOXTON-SANDON TRAMWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 890, 10 September 1910, Page 2

FOXTON-SANDON TRAMWAY.

PETITION FOR EXTENSION TO BUEES.

A MINISTER’S THREAT. TO RUIN THE EOCAE PORT. There was au important discussion in the House of Representatives on Thursday, on a petition requesting leave to connect the Sandon tramway with the Government railway system, either at Greatford or Martou. Among the petitioners were : Raugitikei County Council, Bulls Town Board, Manawatu County Council, Rongotea Town Board, Martou Borough Council, Taihape Borough Council, Mangaweka Town Board, and Foxton Borough Council. The Mto Z Committee, to which the petition was reterred, recommended that the petition should receive the favourable consideration of the Government.

Mr Newman (Manawatu), in moving that the evidence taken before the committee be printed, said that the tramway was built about twenty years ago by the Manawatu County Council. It ran from Pukeuui to Himatangi, where it connected with the Government railway system on Palmerston - Foxton section. The terminus at the north end, at Pukenui, was about five miles from Greatford, on the Palmer-ston-Wanganui section. If the proposal were acceded to the petitioners would take steps to submit proposals to the ratepayers to construct the extension, and would give the Government the option of purchase. The Government had refused this permission, on the grounds that the railway would enter into competition with the Government railways, because Foxton being the nearest port goods from up the Main Trunk line and the district around would be shipped there instead of at Wellington. Goods passing through Martou Junction tor the district had to go round by Palmerston and back through Himatangi, some 49 miles, as against 5 miles to Pukenui. If this principle was the right one, why should not the Minister stop sending goods to Masterton over the Rimutaka, but send them round by Palmerston North ? The district served by the tramway was cut up into small farms, and produced large quantities of butter, [cheese, grass seed, grain, and fat stock for export, and it imported store stock largely from up the Main Trunk besides stores and timber. The receipts for 1906 were ,£2459, and in 1910 ,£3334. As regards the income, it had gone back into the line for improvements. If the connection were granted, timber from the Main Trunk line would go right through, a distance of about 5 miles; at present it was carried from, say, Marton to Himatangi—44 miles —-and then to Pukenui, another 17 miles. REMARKABLE EVIDENCE. Mr Newman then read portion of the evidence which the Hon. J. A. Millar gave before the committee. It was to the effect that au endeavour was being made to get the Government to find funds to open up Foxton harbour. The Government, Mr Millar continued, objected to a county that was already well served with railways and roads, making a tramway that was going to come into direct competition with the railways. Supposing, he said, the tramway were got up to Greatford, they would tap the whole trade from Marton to Foxton, because if it only came 011 to their tramline at Greatford they would take the whole thing down to Foxton and ship. The Manawatu County ratepayers were only a portion of the owners of the railways, and they had no right to get special favours, “If,” Mr Millar continued, “they think that the Railway Department is going to sit down and allow their tramline to take away the whole of the trade from Wellington to Palmerston North, or very nearly so, they will very soon find a rate made on the railways to shut the port of Foxton up.” Mr Millar had also said that they (the petitioners) would take the whole of their stock by rail through from the main line because the distance was so much shorter, and that was why the Government was opposed to the whole thing. Asked by Mr Nosworthy whether Government competition would absolutely kill Foxton, Mr Millar had replied in the affirmative, that was so far as the port was concerned.

THE BLUDGEON POLICY. In addition (Mr Newman continued) Mr Millar had said that if they had any trouble with Foxton, the Government would deal with Foxton in the same way that they did with Oamaru. He (Mr Newman) thought that the country should know the position. Mr Field (Otaki) thought that there should be no objection to the request to be allowed to connect with the railway, especially if the Government were given a right to purchase. He trusted that the Government would agree to the proposal, which was a very reasonable one. The Hon. J. A. Millar said that the proposal would benefit only a small section of the community. Prior to the Government acquiring the Manawatu line, there was a special rate benefitting Foxton, but the Government had abolished it. The result of the suggested connection would be to cut off trade over the railways from Marton to Wellington. It was a deliberate attempt to bring about a reduction in the revenue of the railways. Whilst the residents of that district would gain, the residents in other districts would suffer, be-

cause the railways were going to be made to pay. Tue policy of the country for a long time had been that there should be no private lines. A voice: You would get the right of purchase. Mr Millar : Who wants it ? It will have to be relaid. Are there not hundreds of thousands of acres with no railway near them ? Continuing his remarks, Mr Millar said that the Government was not going to find the money to make Foxton harbour, and so take away trade from the railway. Mr Wright: You take away their revenue. Mr Millar: They have got none. Resuming, Mr Millar said that if it came to a fight, he would take the Government coal over the railways, and not through the port of Foxton. There were more boards in the same position ; and they had just as much chance of gelling their request granted as Foxton.- They would not get a chance until they took the power of rating in connection with the harbour ; they would get nothing from the Government until then, at any rate. When they were prepared to. help themselves, the Government would be prepared to consider' the matter. Either traffic would be cut off from the railways or a threat was being held over the Government to reduce the' rates, as the Manawatu Company had done. ruin threatened to foxton. He would wait and see, and the moment Ixe saw that the revenue was effected he would protect it, even if it made Foxton harbour go bung. Mr Massey: You should not make such a threat. Mr Millar, resuming, said that the Ministers were in charge of the national estate. It the line were taken over or any concession given it would mean that the railway revenue would be reduced or the rates over all the railways must be increased. If there was going to be competition he knew who would win in the long run. The Opposition talked about the backblockers ; why, many of those people would think themselves in heaven if they were within five miles of a railway, and there was a level road.

Mr Massey: But it is their own tramway. Mr Millar: I know what is at the back of the whole affair. As soon as the North Island Main Trunk railway was finished there was a more persistent attempt made to get the proposal adopted. I don’t care whether the evidence taken before the committee is printed. What I said was my candid opinion. That is the position I intend to take up whilst I am Minister for Railways. The intention of the Government is to prevent any linking up. OTHER SPEECHES. Mr Hogan (Wanganui) said he agreed with the Minister that if the proposal were granted the railway revenue would suffer. The district was very well served at present. If the proposal were adopted' Palmerston North would be side-tracked. Mr Guthrie (Oroua) said that Wanganui port evidently feared the competition from the port of Foxton. Palmerston North could never be affected to any appreciable extent. The line, if extended, would be of immense benefit. He thought that the policy of the Minister to cut rates if Foxton harbour were opened up was not a proper one. If the line connected it would serve Bulls, Sandon, Rongotea, and many other places which all wanted it. Mr Poole (Auckland West) said that the reason why the owners were offering to sell was that they knew they would make profit out of it. It was well known that the line would have to be re-laid with heavier rails. Mr Buick (Palmerston North) declared that he was in favour of the stand taken up by Mr Millar, but he did not like his arguments. If all that was wanted was a line from Greatford to Foxton it would not be so bad. What the petitioners wanted, however, was an extension to Levin. Mr Forbes (Hurunui) said that he thought the concession should be granted under the eircum-V stances. At this stage the debate was interrupted by the dinner adjournment, so that the matter was “ talked out.”