ARTHUR'S PASS TUNNEL.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13614, 24 December 1909, Page 10

ARTHUR'S PASS TUNNEL.

10 THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS.* 1 v j Sir, —On reading the Public Worto r Statement, delivered in the House of; Representatives on Monday night, ohe ' cannot but admit the truth of the passage in that document re the exceedingly slow progress being made by tho contractors for the tunnel at Arthur's Pass. Kit is evident, however," said the Minister, "tint progress in future must be much greater than hitherto, if the contract is to be completed! by the date 'stipulated vii August Ist, 1912." From the date that the contract was signed up to tbe present, a period) of two years and four months, it seems that not quite one mile has been opened' yet. To be precise, according to figures supplied by Mr M. McLean to a representative of your journal who interviewed him th* week, about 57 chains have been chirm at the Otira end and about 13 chain at the Bealey end—surely an ertrior- ' dinary state of affairs for the largest tunnel contract south of the 70 chains of the easiegfc part of tlie . whole work, and nearly one-half of tlto " time allowed for the whole job has ex- * pired, leaving 4 miles 35 chains rtill untouchet.. Well may "The Do, \ minion," and some of the leading papers in the North Island, ca.ticW* the expenditure on this work, although. . we Canterbury residents admit thai it" " is a work of supreme importance to % both Canterbury and Westland.— <" Yours, etc.,