ELECTRIFICATION OF RAILWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81865, 15 October 1906, Page 2

ELECTRIFICATION OF RAILWAYS.

OUR FUTURE MOTIVE POWER. THE GOVERNMENT POLICY. SPEECH BY THE MINISTER FOR RAILWAYS. Per Press Association. Wellington, October 14. In replying lo a dopuui'ion of Pongaroa settlers who made a request for a light line of railway from Masteiton to Waipukurau. the Minister lor Railways (the lion. \V. HallJones) made some important siaiements regarding 'he development of the latent water power of the country and its application in future to our working railways. 'The country, he said, would not go in for an increased borrowing policy, and in the meantime all possible energy would be concentrated on the Main Trunk lino. In less than three years; time this work- would be completed, and the Government would be in a position 10 deal more liberally with the other works in hand. As Minister for Railways, he desired to do the right thing in tho interests of the colony as a whole. The application of water power to the working of our railways would alter the whole system. Instead of grades like one in 65 and one in 70 having to be preserved, lines could follow the undulations of the country, and extensive cuttings and tunnelling could be avoided. In the course of time, he believed the whole of the New Zealand railways would be electrified and trains would be running over lines at intervals of an hour. They really would not be trains, but chains of a few cars run to suit tho requirements of population and (lie demands of produce ti aiiic. Because this could be done, it would be possible to construct lighter lines with lighter bridges at greatly reduced cost, and I trains could bo run practically continuously, at a cost not in excess of existing expenditure. This was the policy he was ever keeping before him. The deputation would naturally enquire "When do you.think it will be possible to have water power applied to the railways?'' In reply he could only say that any scheme for the application, of water power would bo very costly, and most careful enquiry would have to be made and details minutely thought out before any definite proposals were made. The difficulties of surveys had entailed delay, which had prevented him from bringing down certain information in this connection which he had hoped to be in the posiiion of placing before Parliament at an early date this session. Water power, he affirmed, was going 10 be a great and important factor in the development of NewZealand. He believed that in twelve months' time he would have formulated some definite proposals for railing the country on the lines he had suggested.