THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 298, 11 May 1911, Page 4

THE OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

The Hon, R. McKenzie says he (loos not believe ill milking promises, and probably , , that m the reason why he was so deligiu- ' fully indefinite and vague about the proposed ©punake railway to the several deputations that waited upon him at different centres in Southern Taranaki during the past week. He went as far as to say that the Opunake line is required, which was good of him; also that the line was one of the first branch railways that had a claim upon the taxpavers of'the Dominion, which was even better. Ho was more definite, however, about the matter of the route. He, as Minister, with the Departmental engineers, was, so, he told one deputation, going to say where it was to be built. "Not, one of you," continued Mr. McKcnzie, "will be consulted on this matter. Not a single one of you will be asked where it will connect or where it will be put." His engineers would probauiy be asked, "What's the reason for this, and what's the reason for that?" but no one, he emphasised, would be asked any questions. Which is very characteristic of the Minister, who sees no merit in'tho "suaviter in modo" maxim as regards lih relations with the public. Apart from his bluntness, however, it is satisfactory to see one feature of the matter, that of route, effectually disposed of. For years the towns of the south (Stratford. Eltham and Hawera) have been fighting for the line—but more for the junction. The interests of the people actually cenperned—those living in the district that would he served by the railway—have almost invariably been subordinated to this desire. The Minister's candid declaration should put a stop to this rivalry and bickering, and permit of all the towns pulling together and "battlina" for the laying down of the line at the earliest possible moment. Mr. McTCenzie ! admits that the line is required and that it is one of the branch lines that should he first put in hand, but one infers from his statements that until the main lines are out of hand there is little likelihood of the Government finding money for building branch lines. if } this is so. it will be many a day before Opunake is connected by rail with the main line. Mr. McKenzie, however, showed that if the people were prepared to support borrowing beyond the needs of arterial lines now in hand, branch lines would receive attention, in which ease the Opunake line would be one of the first to be constructed. Before extending oiir borrowing for railways, it seems to us we could very easily reduce expenditure in other directions, such as in connection with duplicating lines near the cities. For instance, the duplicating of the line between Dunedin and Mosgiel, so the Minister for Railways stated the other day, had already cost about half-a-million sterling, while the HuttWellington duplication works have already cost over a third of a million. These lines cannot add to the wealth of the country. Tf they did not exist, the people would still have means of reaching the cities, and, what is more to the point, we would still be exporting quite as much produce. Would it not have been a better investment to have devoted the huge sum of money involved in these duplication works to railing, roadin" and bridging the undeveloped portions of the country? Of course it would. Thi=. however, is a feature we must discuss on another occasion. The Opunake railway could, it is estimated, be built for less than a fifth of a million, and be a dividend prot ducer from the very start. No country in the Dominion, of an equal area, is so closely settled, and no settlers in the Dominion are so heavily rated. Tndeed, the rates now levied are quite a rent in themselves, and instead of decreasing thev must increa.se, unless relief in the way of a railway soon arrives. The deputations made out an overwhelmingly strong case for the early commencement of the line, and the Minister for Public Works would only be doing his plain duty by the district and the country as a whole were he to recommend it to Parliament as an urgent work during the coming session.