The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1912. AN IMPORTANT UNDERTAKING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 221, 16 March 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 1912. AN IMPORTANT UNDERTAKING.

It cannot be too often reiterated that the greatest need of the hour in New Zealand is the speedy opening up and settlement of the land. And the land which is the most accessible to the ports and centres is that which should be tackled first, gradually extending till all the outposts are brought into close touch with the rest of the country. This closer settlement, however, can only be effected by the construction of railways, roads and bridges. And the rate of progress is governed by the amount of money available. For some year* the railway vote has amounted to about a million pounds annually, but even a million does not go far in a country which is so difficult and eostly to rail as New Zealand. Ten thousand pounds a mile is the approximate cost, and this only gives us about an additional 100 miles a year. In every part of thei country the clamor for more railways is growing more insistent, but it is quite obvious that if the rate of construction is to be accelerated more money will have to be borrowed. Side by side with the demand for more railways we have the outcry against increasing the public indebtedness of ;the Dominion. The Government is therefore between the devil and the deep sea. Whichever course it takes it will be blamed—and it is not only blamed, but roundly abused and misrepresented. Last week an important section of railway was commenced at Waihi. It will form part of the East Coast railway, work in connection with which has been proceeding for several years from the Gisborne end, and latterly from Tauranga. The line is destined ultimately to become part of the trunk line from Auckland to Wellington by way of the East Coast, Sir Joseph Ward, in turning the first sod, said that the new line would have a similar effect in the Waihi district as had resulted from railway construction on the West Coast, which at one time entirely depended on mining. Experience proved conclusively that the establishment of railways produced a new class of trade and industry, and revivified what was originally regarded as transient mining districts. He went on to express the opinion, as the result of close examination of the subject, that the probable time necessary to complete the main and tributary railways in New Zealand in order to give essential transit facilities would be from fifteen to twenty years, at an expenditure of about one million annually. He did not think this sum would complete all that was required, but was confident he was not far out in his estimate of what was required to open the transport routes for various parts of the country. It depended, of course, entirely on the amount of money the country was prepared to devote, but, from a practical standpoint, the sooner the requisite railways were completed and turned into revenue-earning services, the better it would be for the country. He reminded his hearers that, unlike many other countries, the Government were carrying out social work for the people and pioneer

work for the settlers. Large sums were spent annually in developing both European and native land, by which both national and private assets all over tha Dominion were immensely increased in value, and the tangible assets of the State and the people were increased far in excess of the liabilities incurred.