MONEY PROMISED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 19, 23 January 1929, Page 7

MONEY PROMISED.

CHANNEL TUNNEL.

Project Before British

Parliament.

FRANCE AND ITALY WILLING.

(Anstralian and N.Z. Press Association.)

(Received 1 p.m.)

LONDON, January 22. Mr. Baldwin made a # statement in the House of Commons on the Channel Tunnel project, Avhich is generally welcomed in political quarters. He said the project will be discussed by the Tunnel Parliamentary Committee on Wednesday.

A member of the House of Commons Sir William Bull, M.P., chairman of the Tunnel Committee, says that he is well satisfied with the position. He could not expect that Mr. Baldwin would have gone further, but he has raised the question out of party politics.

"We will now get to the bottom of the matter. I have no doubt the money will be found immediately.

"France and Italy are willing to put up the whole amount, but they agree that England must have financial control. It will cost roughly £30,000,000 and will take four and a-half years to construct."

Mr. Baldwin's statement gives unqualified approval of the intransigeant features of the scheme. It states that In the event of the project being carried through Britain would be the terminus of the great international European railways. Tens of thousands of French business men and tourists would visit England for the first time, the value of which is obvious.

"Furthermore the day that the tunnel is voted, the cause of peace will have considerably progressed."