RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1920, Page 6

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

THE TAHORA WORK. ! i ' DEBATE IN THE HOUSE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Saturday. Speaking in the Public Works debate, Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) said that l some portions of the Statement, referring to decentralisation, the welfare erf workers, and the encouragement of the straight-out contract system, did credit to the Minister. He was glad to see the references to improved plant. All these movements were in the right direction. Referring to hydro-electric ppwer, Mr. Smith said that Taranaki people had made their preparations to develop their own power. They believed they would be able to secure good .horse-power close to New Plymouth. This being the case, it seemed, reasonable to suggest that Taranaki, having undertaken to _ own hydro-electric development, should receive special consideration in the matter of railways. He. did not object to Auckland province getting its full share of public money; but other districts were entitled to fair treatment, and lie had to protest against the attitude of the Government regarding the StratfordOkahukura railway. Some months ago a large deputation had interviewed Mr. Masscy and Mr. Coates on behalf of Taranaki, and had received from Mr. Masscy an assurance that the construction of the through railway was recognised to be very important from every point of view. The Prime Minister had promised that Taranaki would receive a fair share of public expenditure. Mr. Masscy: Hear, hear. Mr. Smith: Then I ask the Prime Minister to redeem that promise. He had been surprised to hear a suggestion that the Stratford line was not a main trunk line.

Mr. Coates: Nor is itl Mr. Smith: It is described in your own Statement as a main trunk line. Mr. Coates: Stratford to Main Trunk. Surely anybody can understand that. Mr. Smith proceeded to read protests made by Taranaki organisations in connection with the Minister's proposal to stop the line at Taliora. This line had been in hand for many years, and he noted that twice as much had been spent on the northern end as on the southern end. He did not grudge the northern end any of its expenditure, but he wanted the same consideration for the southern end, and lie would urge the Prime Minister to redeem the promises that had been made. The protest that had been made from one end of Taranaki to the other ought to induce the Minister for Public Works to reconsider his decision. Mr. W. T. Jennings (Waitomo) did not support the Taranaki claim. He said that he wanted the settlers of the Ohura district to have railway communication, and he did not care whether Auckland or Taranaki got the connection. The tunnel beyond Taliora had a length of 2i miles, and the construction waw bound to be a! very slow business. The Minister for Public Works (Mr. Coates), Replying after 3 a.m., said that some of the members who had spoken during the debate had seemed to suggest that public money ought to be allotted on a per head basis. That was not his idea. He believed that his duty as Minister for Public Works was to spend the money in the districts where he could obtain the best return from a national point of view, and to avoid taking a parochial view. He was prepared to admit that the Estimates were confusing. Various sections of certain important lines were being constructed at the same time, and the sections were represented by different votes in the Estimates. But he could assure the House that he was endeavoring to make plans that within a year or two would work out to what tlie Government and the country really wanted. If public works were to be carried out successfully, continued the Minister, the Department must have the men to do the job. It was no use having money unless he had also administrative officer's and engineers who felt that they had the Minister and the Government with them, and who knew that good work would be recognised. Then it was necessary that tiie workers engaged on public, "works should have decent conditions and wages, and some encouragement to do their best. He desired to give the men who were doing the work reasonable enlouragement and the best conditions that the country could ado-I Then (here was the question of machinery. Experience had shewn tint 1 an excavator working in a decent cut would do for Ss what would cost his if manpower only were employed It was essential in the interests of the country and of the men engaged on public works that the Department should have plant and equipment for the jobs. His Department would have sixteen excavators next month, and U in June next. That would be the beginning. A sum of over £200,000 had been granted by Cabinet for the purchase of machinery of every kind, especially excavators, locomotives, tipping trucks, dumping trucks, roadmaking machines and similar plant. Organisation, personnel and plant were the prime requisites. Members had said much about various railways. What lines would members propose that he should stop? (Members: None.) He could assure the House that he was going to concentrate effort. Five of the lines mentioned in the Estimates, the Kailiu extension, the Whangarei branch, tiie Wainku branch, the line to Taliora, and the Otago Central (Cromwell) section would be completed by March next, and would then be out of the Department's hands The Waipu branch had been stopped. The Waimate branch was being stopped. He hoped to have the Huntly line, which led to a coalfield, completed within two years. He proposed to aim at the completion of rim work in that time. The Manaia braiicli section (Opunake line) was to be colnpleted in two years. '

When these works were out of hand he. would have under construction: (1) the. North Auckland main trunk line; (2) the East Coast main trunk line, Wa'ihi-Napier; (.'!) the Midland railway; (4) the Stratford-Main Trunk line. Ho did not wish to be understood as placing these lines in order of importance. Then there were, other lines, the Orepuki line, the Waiau line, and the Waikokopu branch. He had mentioned first three trunk lilies on which the Department probably would find its efforts concentrated in the very near future. That would be when the small lines he had mentioned were out of the way The Greymouth-Point Elizabeth line, the Waikokopu branch, and tlie Ohura line would be completed by March, 1022. Me t had .been reproached for stappiag the

Taranaki end of the Stratford-Main Trunk line at Taliora. The reason for the stoppage was that lie could not complete the three tunnels beyond Taliora in any reasonable time and give access to a single" settler. He could spend money at the other end of the line and give access comparatively quickly to every acre of settlement land in the Ohura district. The question of any advantage to Auckland or New Plymouth did not weigh with him at all. The question was°what a reasonable man would do in vhe circumstances. Ought he to buck away at the tunnels for eight or ten years, or should he turn to the point where the expenditure would give a quick result? The reasonable thing was to spend the money in carrying the line to Ohura or perhaps a little further towards the New Plymouth side. It might be unfortunate, continued the Minister, that he came from Auckland. But he thought that he had a fairly open mind, and that he was able to take a view of the circumstances that was not parochial. Auckland happened to be the district that contained an immense amount of undeveloped land and Crown land. A man who had to make up his mind where to spend money on development was bound to turn to the district where there was undeveloped land and Crown land that would carry settlers. ( v.

He must say, much as he regretted it, that he could not see his way io undertake this year to speed up the construction of the railway between Gisborne and Napier. He intended to speed up the road between those towns. To construct the railway would take 10 or 12 years, or perhaps 15 years. Everybody knew that the country to be served by this line was capable of enormous development, and that the one thing keeping it back was lack of access. The quickest method of providing the access was to make the road. His Department could complete the road years and years before it could complete the railway, and it was obvious to anyone that the proper course was to make the road first. He was going to concentrate upon a wellbuilt road and complete it. The railway for a time would have to take second place. He did not intend to stop operations on the line altogether, but his Department would put all the men it could spare on to the road, «o that Gisbornc and Wairoa people would have an outlet towards Napier and Wellington. AN INJUSTICE TO TARANAKI. MINISTER'S STATEMENT CRITICISED. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Apparently the protests from the whole of Taranaki against the stoppage o'f the Stratford-Okahukura railway at the Taliora end have been unavailing to induce the Government to alter their decision as stated in the Public Works Statement. Very well. No doubt Taranaki will ponder well the decision and, having arrived at a definite line of action, will act accordingly. It would be futile at this stage to mince words. Taranaki has nothing to thank the Masscy Government for, and the position is not likely to change in the future. If the Taranaki province was a poor producing one the excuse might be made that encouragement by expenditure of Government money was not wortli while. What is the real position? Undoubtedly Taranaki is not excelled by any part of the whole Dominion for production, acre for aire, and the outstanding duty of the Government should be to encourage such a rich producing province. Has Taranaki been leaning unduly on the Government to make the province productive! The answer is most emphatically no. The province has been selfreliant. The energy of the settlers lias brought the province from a bush clad land to one of great productiveness; has made a deep sea harbk second to no other constructed harboY in New Zealand; lias built the finest roads in the Dominion so that the very best results could be won from the land; has generally rated themselves to all reasonable limits to provide the necessary adjuncts to progress. The people of the province 'having done their share, turn to the Government and say, "Having helped ourselves we look to you, having control of railway construction throughout New Zealand, to push on with the main trunk line from Stratford to Okahukura, so that the productiveness of this province and its hinterland may become even more productive." And the result? Asking for bread they are given a stone. Listen to the statement of the Minister for Public Works:—

"The position then was that at the end of two years he hoped to be in a position to concentrate on the following objectives: (I) Midland Railway; (2) East Coast Main Trunk; (3) North Auckland Main Trunk. There were three trunk lines, on which the Department. would, probably find its" efforts concentrated in .the very near future, when the small lines he had mentioned were out of the way." Ye Gods I So tlie Stratford Main Trunk line is catalogued according to the Minister for Public Works as a "small line." Listen further: "Ought he to buck away at the tunnels for eight or ten years or should he turn to tlie point where the expenditure would give a quick result." So we live and learn. It has been repeatedly stated by those in Taranaki who profess to know that the work at Taliora would take at least five years to complete from the time the line was brought from the Ohura end to the heavy work at Taliora. This statement 'has been more than verified by the Minister; lie says the work will take from eight to ten vears; apparently five years to complete tlie work was a very modest estimate. The Minister has given the show away. Work it out. On Mr. Coates' own estimate the line will not bo completed under twelve or fifteen years. Poor Taranaki; also poor New Zealand. We have suffered in the past, and the future appears to hold nothing for us, as far at least us the Taranaki-Auckland main trunk line is concerned. This line first appeared on the Public Works Statement as far back as 1870; it was started twenty years ago with, say, another fifteen years to go before completion; thirty-five years to complete one hundred and ten miles of railway. Again poor New Zealand. The best the Government can do is to let a contract to an American firm to complete the line, then it would be completed with despatch; but stay, Auckland's M.P.'s might object r —l am, etc. "DISGUSTED.". Stratford, 2nd Nov., 1020.