Railways Vital.

Continuing, Mr. Mackley said that the railways were not an obsolete form of transport as was so frequently suggested. Road and air transport had not supplanted the railways as the latter had superseded the canal and coach. The new forms of transport were restricted in their scope, though it would be admitted that they possessed some differential advantages. The railway, however, must remain for many years to come the backbone of the transportation service. Throughout the world railways were playing as important a part as they had ever done in the destiny of countries, and he felt they would continue to do so. There was a revolutionary development in railway equipment all over the world, and in New Zealand the introduction of the rail car was an effective answer to all criticism. Mr. Mackley went on to quote statistics in support of his claim that the railways were a vital part of the Dominion's economic and social life. If the railways were a back number would it be likely, he asked, that the Home Government would guarantee £25,000,000 in loans to finance the principal railways’ programmes? In New Zealand they had anticipated similar developments to those in England, and their programme along the same general lines was well forward. Renewals, replacements and new works provided for in the 1935–36 programme would cost £1,460,913, while a further expenditure of £42,353 was contained in a supplementary programme to be carried out with the assistance of the Unemployment Board. Consideration had already been given to the 1936–37 programme in which provision would be made for an expenditure of £1,665,-659. He quoted those figures to indicate the stupendous expenditure necessary to maintain the railways in a reasonable state of efficiency.