THE EAST COAST TRUNK LINE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10706, 29 August 1912, Page 6

THE EAST COAST TRUNK LINE

(By Coleman Phillips.) I hope my friends Messrs Daniell and Ewington will now feel thoroughly pleased with the full effect of their "parish pump" policy in the matter of the great East Coast Trunk line, the late deputation from Danuevirke, Pahiatua and Ekotahuna having worked their respective pumps far more effectively and thrown iVlaster- , ton completely over. Yet, no! They gave Mastertou a bit of a feeding line as far. as the Tauern. That certainly was "sweet" of them, as the ladies say; like throwing a bone to a hungry dog. They completely abandoned the loop line from Waipukurau to Masterton, and adopted my proposal of "ladIder connections" outwards from the Main Central line, without as much as say "by your leave" ; these connecting links "light feeders" and throwing the East Coast Trunk to the winds. Hon- good of them! But this doesn't suit us in the south at all, and it doesn't suit the East Coast, which will want to have its produce taken into the port of Wellington, fairly "on the level," by tunnelling through to the Wainui-o'-mata. The fact is that most of the Napier produce- for Wellington will go by the future East Coast Trunk line

in preference to the West Coast line

or the Main Central, as the eastern route is the shortest chord of the arc, and will be the most level lino of the three. Whatever is to be done in this matter will not only need to be done "on the level," but also "on the square," as there must he at least "brotherly action" if we want to succeed. Therefore, another deputation is , being made ready to wait upon the Government, to point out the whole plan for opening up the East Coast lands by rail connection, which I soivrthe Eketahuna Express about a, month since. But 1 am not going to throw the northern, townships over, as they have done us in the south. Not at all! Xow that they have abandoned i the loop lino "idea, they phall have their connections, but only as the general scheme is carried out. I would point out to them, that it is not usual for the tail to wag the dog.

The Hon ~tfr Eraser, in telling the late deputation what be did, is not "playing the game." Cur late Governments have st) undermined'our independence that thev have made all l\o\v Zealander.s Cleaners" upon the Government, not "lifters.-" f have always been a "lifter," and I expected Mr Massev's Government to tell the people to stand upright, upon their own feet. Mr Eraser didn't- do so, and we shall get no railway so long as we are "learners." because 'the Government cannot borrow enough to supply all demands.

J Again, our present Government says J "There must be borrowing," and it proposer, to borrow 1-2 millions for all the colony; whereas, T want for the EiiKfc Coast Trunk line and it? various j connections 2£ millions. I therefore I propose to ask for power to make the J Eastern line by privately borrowing the money, just as the West Coast and Manawatn lino was constructed; by a security rate on the lands opened up.. And J unhesitatingly sav that Weber, Pongaroa. and the other lands will be more quickly served by rail connection by private than bv nublie borrowing; j:f. f .j;,jr that New Zealand bad to pay » per cent, for its 1 loan, while- the Wellington and ManSawatu line i;nL it- money for, 2.1 per cent. I therefore totally, object to any future public borrowing for New Zealand, as being most ruinous. Again, there are two problems for a statesman (not a parish pump politician) to face in Xew Zealand. One is the incidence of capital in the shape, say. of a "beet trust," and the other the incidence of lahour in the shape, of Labour Federations . Mr Massey say!:' "So long as the railways are public; property he doesn't fear the beef trust.". But he says nothing about the Federation of' Labour. Permit me to publicly tell him that his only hope lies in tho old maxim, "Divide et impora"—divide to rule. He must not bring all the railways of New Zealand under one head. Flo must divide them, to rule the men at all. And I say the time has eomo for privately-owned lines in New Zealand, to compete with tho Government lines, and for public borrowing to cease. Mr Massoj-'s Government must not make the present Bailway Federation stronger than it is. His only hope is to divide it as th-e tramwavs !are divided. It is indeed the only hope now of all Australasia, "Divide et inipera." I am ready to retain many of the Government lines to check any monopoly whatever ; but to cheek tho Federated Labour, I contend that J future lines must be privately constructed. 'That is why the northern. ■ townships must, work "on the square" with, the southern ones in Wairarapn. Tho Public Works policv has to come to an end in New Zealand, and tho sooner it comes tho bettor.

Light feeder railways are useless for these eastern lines. As father of the co-operative system of dairying

I a naturally pleased that I the Wairarapa and . Forty-mile j Bush in my own lifetime exported £-100,000 of dairy produce last year. But the East Coast Trunk | lino and its connections will export , £1,000,000 worth of cheese and hut- ' tor. Only substantial railways, therefore, are required. The, Government of New South Wales has proved itself for years past absolutely incom--1 potent to uspply New South Wales I with railway requirements, and the Government of New Zealand is exactly in the same position, as neither Government can get the. necessary money. I therefore object to any | light" feeder railway. All the Government of New Zealand should now do is to supply roads and not railways to the back blocks. The private landowners of New Zealand can make their own railways, and. manage them better than the Government, which is the slave of the employees.