"BADLY LET DOWN."

MORNINGS.IDE TUN i\IEL SCHEME. INDEPENDENT INQUIRY ASKED. CRITICISM OF 1 An immediate independent inquiry into the costs and economic aspects of the Morningside deviation scheme was urged by a meeting convened last evening by -the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Mr. M. Stewart, president, presided, and among tlAse present were Messrs. A. Harris, J. S. Fletcher and H. G. R. Mason, M.P.'s. It was resolved, after discussion, that, in spite of the Government's decision to abandon the Morningside tunnel project, the. scheme provides the only adequate solution of the problem of

transport to distant western suburbs and North that has yet been proposed, and also, in view of the situation of the new railway station, it is vital to the interests of passengers that such improvements should be made. The suMtantial discrepancies between" the estimates, and the evidence that the estimate of £1,000,000 is too high, were considered strong grounds for, an independent inquiry. "Auckland has been badly let down," said Mr. Stewart. "The site of the'new station was accepted by the people on the understanding that a subsidiary station would be established in ■ the vicinity of the Town Hall." ■ The estimated cost had been given in , 1928 by Mr. E. Casey, divisional superintendent of railways, as £616,000, said Mr. Stewart. The Hon." W. B. Taverner,, ■ Minister of Railways, now placed the ■ cost at £1,000,000, and talked of three i stations, two of which would be under . ground. It was difficult to understand why these changes had been made, he ,■ Chamber, of Commerce held that only one underground station was needed, in the vicinity of the Town Hall. Another station, in the open,. should be estab- ' lished at Newton. Much importance was attached by local bodies in the North Auckland district to the Morningside . scheme, because duplication on the present route would be almost impossible. The chairman moved that the meeting should express its opinion regarding the urgency of the Morningside deviation and should also ask for a thorough inquiry. Mr. 11. R. Robertson, of the Northern Railway League, said the Government could be taken to task for its fdilure to submit the scheme to the decision of Parliament before it was abandoned. Districts in the North were handicapped by the lack of outlets, said Mr. H. W. Crawford, of Whangarei. He emphasised the need of speeding up the trains. . 1 Mr. Fletcher said the estimates of Railway and Public Works engineers had not been satisfactory for a number of years, and there had been mistakes on the wrong* side running as high as 60 per cent. He said the Morningside tunnel should.be considered as a part of the general problem of providing better access to the north. A harbour bridge would reduce the rail traffic. "A station in the heart of the city is certainly needed, if the Railway Department wishes to maintain its suburban traffic," said Mr. Harris. Mr. Mason regarded the scheme as the best possible. • v: ' Mr. Stewart's motion .was carried.