The Daily News. SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1914. AN IMPORTANT WORK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 10, 30 May 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1914. AN IMPORTANT WORK.

Thursday was a great day indeed for the Opunake district, marking as it did the commencement of the railway line for which it lias waited over thirty years. The turning of the first sod of a new railway is of course not so important as the turning of the last sod, but as the Minister for Public Works said at Thursday's ceremony, the last cannot be turned till the first one, is. There can be only one opinion as to the wisdom of the Government beginning tliis work, The line will servo a large, cloßely-settled and prosperous district, and therefore pay, and pay handsomely, from the start. It will prove an inestimable boon to the whole of the people of the district. For years tliey have been taxing themselves more heavily in order to keep open the means of communication, until tliey have about reached the breaking point. Tho only remedy was a railway, and for applying it the Government is deserving of commendation. It lias only been duriig the past two or three years that the urgency of the work has been recognised by the Government. At the instance of the Hon. T. Mackenzie, then member for Egmont a commission of experts was set up to enquire and report upon the project. The nature of the report was most favorable, not only to the early eonstruction of the line from Te Roti to Opunake, but from Opunake to Moturoa, which they characterised as the natural outlet for the whole of those fertile and closely-settled districts. They further recommended the simultaneous commencement of the works at both the Tc- Roti and Moturoa ends. The new member for Egmont (Mr. C. A. Wilkinson) was not the man to allow so urgent and important a matter, affecting, as it -did, the welfare—indeed, the very existence —of a large number of his constituents, to be shelved, and as a rosult of his representations, which were strongly backed up by the settlers themselves, the Te Roti-Opunake portion was authorised. The Government lost no time in getting things under way. We hope it will push on with the work and have it finished in the shortest possible space of time. The Minister says the line can be completed ■in eighteen months if lie can but obtain the necessary money, but the amount is, comparatively, so small—namely, £IOO,OOO —that we believe he could, if he so minded, place before the House so strong i a case for the vigorous prosecution of [ the work that he would find no dilli- | culty in obtaining authority for the I whole of the money in two years. To spend a few thousands every year is playing with the thing. Far better to Btop construction altogether on many 'of the other thirty-two lines that we

are told ai'e now under way in different parts of the Dominion. The fault with our system of public works is that works, of more or le.ss importance, arc started all over the country, generally to keep the clamorous districts quiet. A few thousands are granted to each every year, but no appreciable headway is made with them, the result being that neither the State nor the people directly affected receive any practical benefit When in Opposition. Mr. Massey stated that he would stop this unbusinesslike way of going; 011, and concentrate on works of the first importance, and bring them into profit as early us possible. He also said lie would be guided by a commission of experts as to what were the most pressing works. But Mr. Massey lias evidently found it impossible to resist the pressure to which he 'has been subjected. 'Ho, like his predecessors, lias lii.s eye too much to the voters and too little on the national interests. We appreciate his difficulty, but we would appreciate him more if he took a statesmanlike stand and told the country that he was going to put an cud to the tinkering system now in vogue in respect, both to railway and roail construction. We hope the Hon, W. Fraser took note of Mr. Okey's suggestion to employ up-to-date labor-saving machinery in the construction of the Opunake line. Tt IS; comparatively speaking, an easy lino to build, and the Minister might do worse than institute the reform in the construction of public works we have been assured is so necessary and see how it works out. The numerous bridges required will 110 doubt be constructed under contract. With the utilisation of labor-saving machinery in the excavating, etc., the work should soon lie completed. We only trust Mr. Fraser will see that a substantial sum is planed on the Estimates for the work this coming session. Now that the first practical move has been made with this work, we trust all parties will unite in assisting ami facilitating the coastal people in building the line from Moturoa to Opunake, which is just as necessary to them as the other lino is to the people on the other side of the mountain. As is well known, the Clovernment cannot see its way to authorise this line. The settlers thereupon say, "Give us the authority, and we, will build it ourselves." This self-reliant and independent spirit has appealed to the Government, which has promised the settlers to put through the necessary enabling Bill in the early part of the coming session. The settlers have no choice in the matter. Like their felfowsettlers of the Plains, they cannot carry much longer the ever-increasing burden of road maintenance, and naturally turn to a railway as a solution of their troubles, as it will most certainly be. In pledging* their lauds by way of security for the money necessary to build the line, they would, it must be said. lake no risk, for no rate would ever be levied, for the simple reason than the line would, like the Te RotiOpunake. one, be self-supporting from the start. There was a commendable spirit -of unity and co-operation about Thursday's proceedings. Representatives from every important local body were there, all showing the keenest interest in and sympathy for the work the initiation of which was being celebrated. There was no discordant note, struck, even about the routes. Any feeling enrendered oyer the choice Itnd complete-

ly disappeared. All wore manifestly and sincerely glad that the work was to be commenced. VVe want to see the same spirit, tho same co-operation, shown in connection with tho work the coastal settlers are desirous of undertaking. We congratulate the people of the Plains on the commencement of a work which means so muck to them; we congratulate the Government upon the good sense and judgment it lias shown in undertaking the work, and we congratulate tho member of the district upon the very valuable services he has rendered his constituents and the province generally in connection with this very important matter.