UNPROFITABLE RAILWAYS

Shannon News, 30 July 1929, Page 2

UNPROFITABLE RAILWAYS

THIRTEEN MILES COST OVER A MILLION. REFORM POLICY IN NORTH ISLAND. MR ATMORE'S SUPPRESSED SPEECH. South Island papers publish full reports of the Hon. H. Atmore's speech in the House on Wednesday night, which, it is asserted * was ignored by Reform journals for Party purposes. The follow--1 ing extract is from the Christchurch Star.

WELLINGTON, July 24. An immense tracing from the Public Works Department, illustrating a section of new railway in the Dargaville district, was introduced into his Ad-dress-in-Reply speech by the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore, tonight. Seeking the aid of the Minister of Public Works to hold it up, he asked members to follow the diagram of a balloon loop on the North Auckland railway, at Kirikopuni. It was thirteen miles fifty-six chains long and cost £1,059,350 to construct. A Labour member: Good gracious!. The Minister: And the cost works out at £77,320 per mile.. Kirikopuni, he explained in reply to many questions showered by anxious members, was a little place near Dargaville, -where thirty-five people lived. Instead, of the railway cutting across to Dargaville at the point he indicated on the plan, it went two miles and three-quarters around at a cost of £155,000, and then was no nearer its objective. Railway construction during the last ten years in the Whangarei district had cost an average of £41,440 per mile, but in.the rest of New Zealand 262 miles had been constructed at an average cost of £29,234 per mile. He quoted a recent report from official sources, stating that unfortunately most of the work had been completed, otherwise the question of making a junction at a place, called Paradise could be considered. Mr Coates: Who is the official signing that! The Minister: The honourable gentleman and any other member can see all the documents when I have finished.

Mr H. E. Holland: Was there any official reason for making that loop! The Minister replied that he would deal with that later, but he would say at once that 'officials were against making it. Mr Coates: What officials? OFFICIAL REPORT IGNORED.

The Minister: I can give all those details.

Mr Atmore went on to remark that the leader of the Reform Party was Tory anxious for an investigation before the South Island Main Trunk was proceeded with. Did he want an investigation to see whether it would pay, and, if not,- to decline to proceed with it? The House should knew of the same gentleman's attitude towards the North Auckland railways. He had an inquiry into whether they would pay, and, Avhen it was officially reported that there would be considerable loss, the direction from the ex-Prime Minister was: "Go on with it."

Mr Coates: Produce that report.

Mr Atmoro: I will not shelter behind obscure references, but will produce all the documents, proved and signed. He wanted an investigation, but what did he do when he got it! Disregarded it. * /

The Minister added that he realised it was the Government which had to decide its own policy, and he felt that but for Cook Strait, the cry would have been to connect, not Auckland with Wellington,' but Auckland with Invercargill. The late Prime Minister, in regard to his North Auckland line, set up a commission to report on its prospects, but not on railway policy, and subsequently Mr Coates admitted in public that the report showed that, if the line stopped at Kirikopuni, it would result in an annual loss of £47,000, and, if it stopped at Dargaville, the loss would be £77,0Q0, plus £IO,BOO paid out of the Consolidated Fund for loss in respect of the Kaihu branch. This report was signed by, among others, Mr F. J. Jones, late railway manager, who as a superannuated railway servant seemed to be regarded by the Leader of the Opposition as an infallible authority on the South Island Main Trunk, though, when he was head of the railways, he did not carry conviction in the same quarter.