AUCKLAND LINES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 245, 16 October 1929, Page 10

AUCKLAND LINES.

MINISTER'S STUDIED SILENCE OPPOSITIONISTS* SHARP COMMENT. MORNING SIDE AND POKENO. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The silence of the Minister of Railways in respect of the Government's intentions concerning the proposed PaeroaPokeno railway was commented on in the House of Representatives late last night by Mr. Samuel and Mr. Mason. The member for Thames described the visit of the Minister and Auckland members to Paeroa some little time ago, and told the House that they were all convinced that the proposed line was a necessary work.

"I am surprised," said Mr. Samuel, "that we liave had no statement from the Minister regarding this line, because I know he believes it is a necessarywork. If it were not for the construction of political railways he would advocate the construction of the PaeroaPokeno line. Every member in the Auckland province knows it would be a payable proposition. The East Coast line is not complete without the PaeroaPokeno line, because under the existing system there are 47 miles of dead mileage." Mr. Samuel said the Government had all organisation ready to hand in the Waihou-Ohinemuri River improvement scheme, which would shortly reach the final stage. If the railway were not gone on with when this work was finished then the whole of this great public works organisation would be scrapped, and large numbers of men who might usefully be employed on railway construction would be thrown out of employment. The Minister should let the people of the Auckland province know exactly where they stood. Everyone in Auckland province believed that this line should be constructed, and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce advocated it as a necessary work. Mr. Mason, who followed, said the people of Auckland had been humbugged right through in connection with the Paeroa-Pokeno line and- tho-Morningside

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deviation. He read extracts from the Railways Statement to show that what the Minister really meant was / that these lines had not been considered'at all, but would be considered in two or three years' time. Why was a straightout statement not made? People M been left with a false impression:,Tli6 truth was that works such as these two lines had faded into 'the dim and distant future. Pokeno Line a Policy Matter. r Mr. Taverner, when replying at 2 a.111.1 said the proposed Paeroa-Pofeno M® was a matter of Government policy, to be disclosed through the Public Woiks Statement. The Minister said no more, except to thank Mr. Samuel and tnos associated with him for their liospitali y oil the occasion of a Parliamentary party's visit to Paeroa. A Member: Oh, lie is wanting sometiling in return. (Laughter.) Mr. H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs), said lie got telegrams'iioffl Auckland stating that the Ot&hu workshops were working two l loUt ' 3 ,^' e . time daily, despite the fact that t e was so much unemployment, ■>:> said Mr. Mason, if that were so it not the way to organise to mee unemployment situation. , Mr. Taverner said the; latest- ie available showed that IS2 houit= been worked for four weeks by the w staff. The Department did not../ 0 "* overtime if it could help it, and 1 e ployed all the men who could , e nt „ r(l ployed. Instructions to that effect issued six weeks ago. Two shif # worked in handling heavy repairs, a little progress had been made. .- ,