RAILWAY DEPUTATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 196, 18 August 1913, Page 7

RAILWAY DEPUTATIONS.

• -*■ - ■■■- THE SOLTTTIERN MAIN TRUNK. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A deputation representing the South Island 'Main Trunk Railway League and Kaikoura. bodies, to-day urged on the Prime Minister (he necessity for completion of the .South Island Main Trunk railway, a m-bte.r of DO miles, between Parnassus and Ward, a-nd they asked that 41100.000 .be .planed on the Estimates for rail-way. and £"20.000 for roads and bridges, it was pointed out that the rivers of '.'lie Kaikoura district were the only rivers unbridtged between Blenheim and DlufT. and uh.it •".•""> miles of line between Picton and Warrf had „i—eni 35 y__rs to complete. Mr Massey, in reply, said -that a contract had already been Jet for a 'bridge over one of —1_ worst rivers. The completion of the railway line was only a __.tter of time and money. The Hon. Frae-er promised ibo place a grant on the Estimates tor bridging dangerou.- -'vers. He added that appliealions f ;'ib!ic works this-season were six or 'i limes an great/ as the money avnii.iY Tiie Minister reminded the deputation {.hat some il-M-.000 had been spent -on the Southern Trunk' line last yea rt. One stretch of Jine. 10 miles, his engineers estimated, had cost, on an average £20.000 per mile. They tnust be careful to choose the best route, and inquiry wns now being made in that direction. He had seen m—ny grave mistakes made in public -works in Now Zealand, and did not. want his name associated with any such mi—takes.