PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLI, Issue 9431, 31 January 1921, Page 6

PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.

SOUTH ISLAND TRUNK LINE. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The Hon. J. 6. Coates, Minister of Public Works, arrived m Christchurch. last night, having motored from Blenheim. Mr Coates visits the Lake Coleride hydro-electric plant to-day, and on Monday the Arthur's Pass tunnel. In an interview yesterday evening, Mr Coates dealt with some of the works m hand of special interest to Canter- ' bury. to the 'South Island Main Trunk railway, Mr Coates said that his object m going over j. the different proposed routes was to YUfualise the information already contained m departmental and other reports- Probably some engineering surveys would be required to oonhrin the impressions gained. The idea was to decide upon a' programme and let the public know about it. As to the route to be adopted, the Minister said that the Government would consider all the routes ; the coastal route might be the best, but he was not prepared to make any definite statement on the subject at present. \t was intended to have a report submitted on the request for the construction of three miles from.; Wharenui. The Kekerangu bridge, ah, important factor m connection with the line, was being delayed on account of the difficulty experienced by the Government, as well as by local bodies, m. obtaining supplies of hardwood timber. As far as the Department /was concerned, • tfa& timber question wa^ an' urgent one, and an officer of, the Department had visited Australia to' go into the question of supplies. The forests m the various Australian States having been taken over by the Commonwealth, the Public Worts Department of each State had the first call on the timber produced by the State mills, and as their demands exceeded the output, the New Zealand Government was forced to depend on supplies from mills not run by the State. In other words, they had to scratch around amongst private sawmillers and get supplies piecemeal.