The Daily News. TUESDAY, MAY 25. THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 100, 25 May 1909, Page 2

The Daily News. TUESDAY, MAY 25. THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

j Fresh from its quiescence during the Parliamentary recess, the agitation for j the Opunake railway is being revived "vvitli renewed vigor, and already also, that bar to its realisation, tile battle of the route, is being-trotted out by the rival towns interested in the point of junction. Notwithstanding that the report of the engineers hist year was distinctly in favor of the surveyed aad reserved route, it is too much to expect that so sweet a morsel for contention j would be abandoned without effort by the disappointeds. Not that we believe for a moment that Stratford or Hawera will have the mortification of witnessing Eltliam's jubilation over the authorisa tion for some years at least, lio lar as Xaranaki is concerned, it is almost cer I tain that the Government will concenj trate its railway votes on the .Mam | Trunk connection via Stratford, to the } exclusion of every other demand. That I is, speaking of the ordinary Publit

, Works policy. That uie Opunake railway is urgently wanted, that, moreover, it would be a splendid paying invest- i inent. not even tile Government ques- : lion; but the difficulty confronting tliem . is that many railways,. as urgently wanted and with prospects almost as satisfactory, are being asked for (ill over the Dominion, I'uless the Govern ment embarks 011 a heavy borrowing policy—a most unlikely contingencymany years must elapse before all plaints can receive consideration, and meantime it is almost a certainty that the (!overnment will eontine its energies and funds to pushing 011 those railways already authorised and under construction. There is, at any rate, but little likelihood of any new railways beiug authorised this session. A system has, however, been suggested by Sir Joseph Ward, which, if endorsed by Parliament, will enable districts such as that through which the Qpunake line would pass to secure the railway many years before it could be expected in the ordinary course. Sir Joseph bas suggested that in eases where people express their readiness and willingness to undertake responsibilities, and to guarantee any deficiency <it' revenue, provision should be made for the completion and equipment of such railways. The obvious deduction to be drawn from the Premier's remarks is that the Government is prepared to extend its public works expenditure, provided it has the interest on the cost of such undertakings guaranteed. This is a perfectly businesslike stipulation, and it is only to be regretted that some such stipulation had not been required before some of the non-paying lines in the Dominion B were proceeded with. Although it may seem unfair that settlers in one part of the Dominion should he liable to be 14 called upon to make up a deficiency of J revenue, while the deficiencies 011 other I lines are met out of ue general profits, £ it is not an argument that need be I seriously raised in the case of the pro- • posed Opunake line, about the" ability | of which to pay interest 011 capit >1 J there is not a shadow of doubt. Mr. S Bradsliaw Dive, JI.P. for Egmout, rcS cently moved in the matter, and prob- ? ably a conference of local bodies inter- £ ested will be held at an early date to discuss the question. The subject is one of vital importance to ,South Tarauaki, where the roading problem is I extremely acute, liven if the district had to pay the whole of the 3 or 314 per cent, interest 011 the capital cost of the railway, tlicy would still be money in pocket as compared with the excessive cost of maintaining the roads.