The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1913. THE COASTAL TRAFFIC.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 204, 17 January 1913, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1913. THE COASTAL TRAFFIC.

The position in regard to the South Road is becoming desperate. The County Council is now about to block the use of traction engines on the road. Under its newly-made bye-laws—the purport of which is, by the way, unknown to the general public, owing to the bye-laws not having been advertised locally—it is provided that "spikes, grippers, bars or ridges" shall not be used on the wheels of any traction engine using the roads. This means debarring traction engines altogether, as they cannot climb hills without bars on the wheels. The Council's action is like that of the man who shut the door of the stable after the steed had been stolen. The damage has been done, and the road is in a worse condition than ever it was. If the traction engines are driven off, the dairy produce must be moved over the road to the port. The use of waggons, it is stated, will have to be reverted to, but where are the waggons and the teams I to come from? Those which -were in use before the advent of the traction engines have disappeared, and it will take time to replace them, particularly with the road in such a shocking state as it now is, The coastal dairy com-

panics will shortly lie '"up against it," mid just how they are going to get over their transit difficulties we do not know. The County Council, it is quite certain, cannot block the transit of their produce altogether. Happily for the companies, the height of the season has been passed, and the quantity of produce to go forward will gradually lessen. But something must be done, and done soon, to the road, or it will fce blocked for traffic in the winter. Permanent relief can, as wo have frequently pointed out in the past, only come from putting the traffic on rails, and no time should be lost in bringing down a definite scheme with this end in view. Undoubtedly this is the duty of the Railway League. A week or two ago we suggested a scheme which we thought was practical and would prove acceptable to Parliament and the ratepayers affected. It is to constitute the district between New Plymouth. :utd, say, Oaonui, a railway district, and allow it to borrow the money on the security of a rate, and build and manage a railway. It 'would, to all intents and purposes, be the same in character and power as a harbor board. The scheme could be made a general one, applying to any district, and would require to be fathered by the Government. The latter should not be diffident about this, as its chief members have signified their objection to the pursuing of a "dog-in-the-manger policy" in regard to district railway construction, and their support of a selfreliant policy. Our coastal friends are hopeful that the Government will shortly authorise and build the line.' It may —in our children's children's time. We cannot, however, afford to wait so long. The Government huve many claims of j equal if not greater merit to consider. It is suggested that.if the settlors guaranteed the Government against loss the matter would be facilitated. We cannot share this view, for .the reason that a guarantee could in 110 way assist the Government in procuring funds, which is the essential point. We also doubt if an effective guarantee could be obtained in face of the opposition that it is known would be raised. There are objections ' 'to' the construction of a line by a private company. An important section in the House would resist anything of the kind, and we doubt very much if the way were open whether the necessary money would be subscribed in the district. There are other objections that, we need not enumerate just now. There is only one effective' way out of the" difficulty, it .seems to us, and that is in the direction of the ratepayers of the district benefit ing by the building of the line taking up the work themselves. It would, as we have said, be necessary to get the Government to pass a Local Railways Act. The Act might provide as follows: (1) The formation, by consent of the Minister of Railways, of a. local railway district in any district that desires a , branch railway, and where the Government are not prepared to construct the L same; (2) when the formation of any h local railway district has been approved by the Minister, a local railway board shall be elected bv the ratepayers within the district; (3) such board be empowered to construct any railway or railways within the district on the approval of the Minister; (4) such board be empowered to raise loans for the purpose of constructing, extending or improving such lines, and for purchasing lands a.n<l rolling stock, or for the carrying out of any works necessary or • beneficial for the proper .working of such lines, the first two years' interest to be paid out of loan; (5) such board be empowered to strike, levy and collect either level or differential rates on the capital value of all lands within the district for the security of any such loan, payment of interest or sinking fund thereon; (G) before any rate is struck or loan raised , it shall be necessary to obtain the con- - sent as provided and in the manner provided for the raising of special loans by local bodies; (7) 110 rate shall be struck" or collected except for the purpose of payment of any estimated deficiency oftinterest or sinking fund after the exhaustion, except of a reasonably sufficient balance, of the railway fund after the payment of all working and maintenance costs; (8) such board to have the power to lease the line to the Governriient on equitable terms; (9) the Government to have the power to take over. the.line (but not part without the agreement of the board) at any time 011 equitable terms; (10) any profits or surplus funds, beyond the necessary balances to carry forward, shall at the end of each year be paid by the board to the county councils partly or wholly within the district, in accordance with the proportional value of each, for ex- | penditure by them on the roads within the district, and any surplus funds that may remain in the hands of the board after the taking over of the line by the Government shall be disposed of in a like manner; (11) local railway board to be exempt from all rates, taxes or duties. Ihis is a brief outline of a scheme the merits of which we feel sure will commend themselves to the Government and the coastal ratepayers. We are satisfied that the scheme affords an effective solution to the coastal traffic difficulty, and is well worth the earnest consideration of the. local Railway League, which, if satisfied with its soundness, after examination, should lose 110 time in putting it directly before the coastal people and the Government. If anything is to be done, the necessity of the situation demands the taking of piompt action.