RAILING THE COUNTRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 68, 11 September 1911, Page 3

RAILING THE COUNTRY

1 A VIGOROUS riil.K'V. NEW LINKS TO BK SKTTLKI) UY COMMISSI OX. In the course of the Financial Statement, the Premier waid: — As I pointed out during the last session, the and of our public works scheme is now in sight. The main arterial systems of railways will not | take many years to complete, and the cost of this and the future main roads of the Dominion can now he approximately ascertained. The whole should he completed within a period of la to 20 years. There will be no important departure from the plan as now laid down. The only question to be considered is this: Are the works to be completed out of the revenue or by loans, or partly by one and partly by the other method? In my opinion, it would be wrong to throw the whole burden of constructing them on the present generation. We will hand them on to our descendants, and some of the cost should bo borne by them. The most businesslike method is to spread the cost over two or three generations, the moneys required to he borrowed for finishing them being repaid by the sinking fund now established. The policy of the Government in this will be to borrow sufficient'to push on as quickly as circumstances will permit the railways, road and other public works that are most urgently required, supplementing the loan moneys each year by as much as can be transferred from the Consolidated Fund. It would, in. my opinion, be a good plan to have the question of what are necessary, railways in each island once and for all determined by a commission of members and experts and that only such works should be completed with borrowed moneys. Any further sums required in excess of a certain amount per annum would be found out of revenue. This method would give a finality to our scheme of railway construction, and it is desirable from many points of view. By such a course the country would know what was necessary over a period of years, and an amount annually could" then be devoted to this purpose. I wish to state emphatically that the Government will carry on a vigorous policy of railway construction, recognising as I do that they are reproductive, and that it is of the most vital importance to our settlers and our business people that the. fullest facilities should be given for carrying on the work of those settled on our lands, and those intending to I icttle. I