SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 20 July 1929, Page 8

SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK

BIG DEPUTATION WAITS ON PRIME MINISTER COMPLETION SUPPORTED (By Telegraph.) (From “The Mail’s” Parliamentary reporter.) WELLINGTON'. l!»lh July. Farts, figures, and estimates in great detail were marshalled by a deputation representing numerous South Island public bodies and progress leagues, beaded by Canterbury and Marlborough interests, which waited on members of the Government to-day to give support to the proposal for tlii> completion of the South Island Main Trunk railway. The Prime Minister stated that work had been commenced already, and that with the help of Parliament this session the Government intended to obtain authority for the construction of the line. A majority of members, lie said, were in favour of the project. The Ministers present were the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward), the Minister of Railways (the Hon. W. B. Taverner), the Minister of Lands (the Hon. G. W. Forbes), the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. P. A. de le Perrelle), the Minister of Justice (the Hon. T. M. Wilford), the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the iHon., J.- G. Cobbe), the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ransom), the Minister of Health (the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy), and the Minister of Native Affairs (the Hon. Sir Apirana Xgata). Many members of Parliament were also present. The deputation was introduced by the Minister of Lands (the Hon. G. W. 'Forbes), who said it was representative of the whole of the South Island, and could speak for the great majority' of the public bodies of the Island. * In 11)11 he introduced a large deputation urging the completion of the work, a deputation which had the support of three-fourths of the members of the House. There was some difference of opinion regarding the matter now,” but there was no difference so far as the South Island was concerned.' The people felt they had a right to ask that the railway system should be completed.

The main spokesman for the deputation was Mr J. E. Strachan, ex-presid-ent of the Canterbury Progress League, who said they understood the Govern-, ment was determined to carry out the work, and they felt they slioidd show how much feeling there was in support of the proposal. Criticism had been levelled against the line which they felt was sincere, and it had been suggested the railway had not been properly investigated. They wished to show that it had been thoroughly investigated. The service of national railways was properly estimated in relationship to the development of the country as a whole. In the present ease it was not so necessary to envisage a three, four, or five per cent, return on capital cost before embarking on a railway project. A fair probability of paying working expenses at least in the initial stages would be sufficient to justify construction, provided that the national developmental possibilities of the undertaking were great. Dealing with the national economic aspect, Mr Strachan quoted figures to show that South Island development had been strangely retarded in comparison with North Island development. In the economic and industrial aspects, the SoutJi Island was not pulling S its weight. If South Island development could be accelerated to keep step with that of the North Island, the Dominion as a whole would be more prosperous. The North Island had through rail connection from Wellington to the North of Auckland; the South Island was virtually beheaded by the gap in the trunk line. The North Island had two major ports on the Pacific traffic routes. Owing to the existing break in the trunk line, the nearest available South Island port was 175 miles further away, whereas in Picton the South Island might have a terminal port as advantageously placed as was Wellington. The nearest point in the South If bind was, in effect, removed 175 milesfurther front the rest of the world than it need be geographically, and that because of aif.if.cial conditions that could be corrected. The first step towards raising the commercial status of Picton obviously was to connect Picton with the South Island Trunk Railway system. The beheaded condition of tlie South Island was one of its greatest disabilities. From the national point of view the developmental possibilities of the Ine were so great that' the case for construction was strongly established, and only most unfavourable estimates of revenue and costs could upset it. A further point made by the speaker in dealing with the national economic aspect was that whereas by railway development Wellington had been connected with its hinterland, Picton was not connected with its hinterland, the South Island. The commercial status of Picton must be raised. To push the South Island trunk system through to an ocean port on Cook Strait was one of the most statesmanlike projects that had been envisaged in recent years. SETTLEMENT POSSIBILITIES Dealing with the land settlement question, Mr Strachan quoted figures to show that there was actually more farm land in Marlborough than there was proportionately in Wellington, lint the average farm holding in Marlborough was nearly three times that of Wellington. 'The conclusion was that the development of Marlborough had been retarded, even taking into consideration Wellington’s position as the seat of Government. Marlborough had 50 per cent, more land capable of im-

provement than Ihi l whole of Wellington province, and in proportion to ils area nearly four times as much as Wellington. Wellington had 9110.312 acres ill tussock, fern, and llax land capable of improvement; .Marlborough bad 1,4(10,347 acres. Figures indicated that Marlborough was not halt stocked. Wellington pustoralisfs had a well conceived and efficient transport system (hat put them in ‘touch with (heir markets; 'Marlborough pastoralists were cut off from the stock and wool markets that suited them best. Marl r borough was short-circuited in I lie dominion’s transport system. If no other reason could lie alleged for filling the Wliaraiiiii-I’arnassus gap. 'the work should he done. STRATEGIC VALUE

Stressing the strategic value of the line, Mr Strachan pointed to its availability for the mobilisation and transport of troops and war materials, and ils relationship to a naval and air base at Marlborough Sounds and Blenheim respectively. Obviously the strategic possibilities of Picton and Blenheim could not lip realised until the trunk railway systems of the South Island were completed to the base. The gap in the line was the weakest spot in the Dominion's lines of communication, and in the event of war New Zealand would be in two parts. South of the gap our forces would be immobilised. Turning to road versus rail transport, the speaker declared that it would cost the country a good deal more to develop our industries by road transport than it would by the construction and! efficient running of trunk railways. Where railway transport was less costly—as in the ease of the long haul, and for most classes of goods ■ —railways should still he built as a sound economic policy. For short haulage on feeder and subsidiary services, the motor possessed advantages, but for long haulage on trunk routes it could, not compete with the* railways.The railways would have to compete with shipping in respect to both passengers and goods. He predicted that half of the present ferry passenger traffic would be diverted to the railway, assuming a reasonably expeditious service. The railway 'could get practically the whole of the inter-islaml passenger traffic if it would pay it to go after it. The ferry service was dependent on the railway, and not vice versa. THE FINANCIAL ASPECT

It was reasonable, to expect an increase of at least half a million pounds in the value of Crown lands in Marlborough, and they estimated that the capital expenditure of £2,300,000 (estimated) on the line would be returned Through the Crown Lands Department. Estimating the increased annual expenditure bv train running costs at £122.258 per annum, and the increased annual income at £249,575 ( £151,250 by passengers and £98,325 by goods), they concluded that the line would yield a return of £127,317, sufficient to. return 5 per cent, interest on the capital invested. Referring to the report of Mr Jones, the speaker said it was obvious that the completion of the Main Trunk Ijne would cost much less per mile than the figure estimated by tlie late chairman of the board. Mr R. F. Coulter, president of the Marlborough Progress League, said the Prime Minister’s railway policy was a bold one, but it was one that must succeed. Dr. -W. E. Redman, vice-president of

(lie Marlborough Progress League, said tlie whole of I lie South Island supported the GovenimciiL's railway construe(ion policy. They were regarding the completion of (lie line from a ualioli.il viewpoint. The line would have nothing lo fear from niutur competition, as motor services could not hope to com pefv. successfully ag mist long-distance railways. Mr W. J. Girling, ex Reform IM P. fm. Wairau, dwelt on the possibilities ul closer settlement along the proj)"S" 1 !11 e. There would be as much as 390,000 acres of land available for cull mg up into small areas when once the Ime v.as put through, lie assured the Prime fJ'nistor licit as far as ho was concero-cl, noil as far as the people of Mar'burnugli were concerned, he would I ave strong support. Mr A. J. Murray, a prominent Mailhorough pasloralist, referred lo '.he d.sahililies under which Mailn-nnugli farmers were labouring at the present lone owing lo the difficulty of getling I heir slock to Canterbury.' At present the slock had to go by road, and the clients of travelling were such, that the stock deteriorated in value by the lime they readied Canterbury. 1 he number ol sheep that must be got out of Marlborough wtis 2,233,500, and on these there was a dead loss of 4s per head owing to deterioration. Mr Murray referred to the natural advantages of the Marlborough district as sheep country, and said if heller means of access were ( provided the - land could carry many more sheep than it was able to carry at. tlie present time. If they could rail fat stock to Canterbury they would be able lo get tlie highest prices, prices which flic Marlborough Works were unable to pay. There would also be a. big saving on "cattle. and altogether he estimated that if the Main Trunk were put through there would be an increased revenue to the farmers of tho district of £249,272 per annum. OTAGO'S SUPPORT Mr S. B. McDonald, president of the Otago Expansion League, said the project interested the people of Otago in no mean degree. For years they had endured the long day ride to Lyttelton, and the long sett voyage to Wellington. The haphazard and piecemeal method of railway construction pursued in tho Dominion had perforce compelled them to take what was given, and their hopes were high when the report of the FayRaven Commission was made public. On behalf of the people of the South, he voiced their support of the policy which Sir Joseph Ward had enunciated, and pressed the Government to put that policy into immediate and vigorous action. They were not interested in the squabble as to- whether this or that mile of the new railway would receive enough traffic to make it pay, hut what they were interested in was that they should have nil unbroken line of communication from Tuatapere to Whangarei under one control and the property of the people of New Zealand. They also wanted a rail ferry across Cook Strait, the final, most effective, and most, profitable undertaking of all. It had been stated that the line would not be popular with passengers, that it was too tedious a journey, too slow, and too costly, but lie ventured to say that all experience had proved that the average man and more than the average woman, would gladly travel by land rather than by sea, if land transport were available. The propr/sed line was the mam artery, the absolutely essential link m ticchain without which their system consisted of scattered links, only half-ser-viceable. The service could be run easily within the time limits of the present method. However, there was another consideration apart from that of the carriage of passengers, and that was the carriage of goods. The iqn'g straight haul that would be possible with the completion of the railway could not be tapped by motor competition, and would h e more economical than the present combined rail and steamer method, with its divided control, and its double handling. The speaker appealed to tlie Prime Minister not to he stampeded by, opposition

or criticism, hut Io push ahead with the work in the interests of the I >omillion as a. whole. "ONE IN SENTIMENT” Replying lo the deputation, Hie ITime Minister said (hat Ihe deputation and the Government were one in sentiment in connection pith tlie railway. The. Government had proclaimed its intention v! getting the authority of Far!lament lo put the Jine through, but he was very glad they hail come to support the project, because outside of (lie Government and members of Parliament who were favourable to the making of the railway, there had been an effort lo create a false public opinion about it. The fact of their making the journey ilo f\V)clii)iigUon, lo impress lllio Government with their support, and (lie publicity tJin speeches would receive, showed clearly that they did not accept the. statements which had been published as accurately conveying I lie real position. Sir Joseph said he Iliad been, a supporter of tlie railway as long as he had been in Parliament, and had done so on broad grounds. The late Sir Julius Vogel was responsible for the inclusion of the section of line in the lines of railways that were to he completed, hut the. proposal had had a very chequered career. Year in and yean* out it had few sponsors in the House. It bad comparatively none outside the House, and in tlie. scramble Unit had 'gone on for the prosecution of railways throughout (lie country for tlie last fifty years it had fallen' by the wav more than once by not being included, as it. ought to have been, as an important, portion of the South Island Trunk Railway system. Residents of Marlborough and adjacent country who had not rai/wuy facilities had been paying taxation for tlie benefit of other people right throughout the country, and they were entitled on broad grounds to generous consideration in connection with the line.

“1 am satisfied,” said Siij Joseph, “that the railway will pay. (Hear, hear.) 1 have been satisfied for a considerable time that it will pay.” lie also said he was satisfied that one could not include a missing section of line in a main trunk system thirty or forty years after the other sections had been completed without it having large benefits outside the district affected as well as inside it through the connection it would give with the rest of the system. Opposition had been shown to tho railway by members of Parliament. An erroneous impression had been created and circulated with a view to trying to influence members of Parliament, hut Sir Joseph said he was of opinion that Parliament would authorise the railway this .session. (Hear, hear.) The Government had already commenced work on Hie railway. (Hear, hear.) It had commenced transporting sleepers, girders, etc., and had had surveys made on the new route. That had been in hand for some ime. The bringing into existence of the actual railway could not he done in a. day. POLICY JUSTIFIED

“We have been suffering criticism from members of Parliament during tin’s session,” said the Prime Minister.' “Tliev have wanted to know what we have done and why wc have not justified our policy. As a matter of fact, wo have justified every line of the policy that was laid down by me before the last General Election. The only point, is that we have not lived long enough since the General. Election to put tlife cardinal points of our policy into operation. There are tilings for which wo need legislative authority. But if wo are given the time, which is the essence of the contract, we will do everything that wo proclaimed we would -do. (Applause.) Tlie making of this railway is one of those things, and \frilh the assistance of Parliament we are going to do it.” (Applause.) Sir Joseph said that the -fact that the deputation had taken the trouble to come to Wellington to state its case would strengthen the hand of the Government and would help them to secure an easy passage of the proposal through Parliament. “I can assure you,” said the Primo Minister, “that there is a majority of the members of Parliament in favour of what the Government proposes to do. in connection with this railway, and there is no danger that we will not he able to complete tlie undertaking we have put our hands to. (Loud applause.) When I met a similar deputation in 1911 I slated that the work would ho completed, and this is the first opportunity I have had since then of putting that into practice. Our opponents will not regard this section as the missing link in the present line. It is not to be, regarded as a mere section. The filling oAliis gap of 76 miles was promised by public men years ago. It is part and parcel of the railway system of this Dominion, and that system will not he completed until this section is completed. I hope you will take my assurance and the assurance of my colleagues that tho work will ho gone on, with, and you cam go back to your homes as happy as if (he. system had already been com plfitec) ” (Laughter and applause.) Sir Joseph again thanked members of the deputation for the. trouble they had taken in coming to Wellington.