Southern Branch Lines
Official Statement by the Government Railways Board.

“The Board, upon its return to Invercargill, and in view of its experiences over the branch lines visited, desires to emphasize the serious condition of transport facilities in Southland, and again emphasizes for public consideration the fact that in its judgment the country cannot afford two competitive means of public transport where the railway facilities are sufficient to provide all reasonable services for the conveyance of goods and passengers. Proprietary interests could not be considered, but the national interests combined with reasonable public services only must be regarded in this important matter. A condition of transport competition as it at present exists is undermining the finances of the Government Railways and leaving as a legacy a very heavy obligation for road maintenance on public bodies. This economic condition is doing serious injury to public finance. The Board realizes there is room for both systems of transport, but they must be regulated and co-ordinated, and in its opinion the country must reach a point where its entire patronage is given to the railway system on main lines and important branches and that road transport must be—and should be—developed as feeders to the railway. It is along such lines that sound transport facilities can be developed in the national interest.

“The Board states that settlers and business people on their part must not take the short view, and think, as many of them apparently at present do, that they are getting advantages through temporary concessions from road transport—which leave them with a resultant heavy taxation bill to meet, which must be ultimately taken into account as pare of their transport charges. This point is frequently overlooked. The Railway Board depends upon the recent legislation under which licensing requirements are being enforced, but it realizes that New Zealand is only at the outset of such administration by the licensing authorities—and it is for this reason chiefly that it is resolved not to be hasty in any decision regarding the suggested closing of lines.

“In other words, it is affording to the people of all districts concerned the full opportunity as set out above to fully and sufficiently support the existing railway service of the Dominion to the end that it can be maintained and improved—and this can be done only by a ready and whole-hearted response to the appeal which the Board is now making to the Southland community and which it is reiterating to all districts of the Dominion. The Board, in making this appeal on its part, states that it realizes that convenient and efficient services must be given to the public and nothing will be left undone to this end.”