RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17938, 5 December 1923, Page 8

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION.

THE TAURANGA LINE.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER,

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.")

ATJCKL/AXD, XXeeeniLer 4,

Matters in connexion with tho construction of that portion of the East Coast railway most closely affecting Tauranga were dealt with by the Hon. J. G. Coates in a speech there at the week-end. Mr Coates said that it might have appeared that the construction of tho East Coast railway had been delayed, but there was no reason to think that, as tho Department was now in a position to concentrate on that important work. With regard to tenders now being called for the construction of the line between Tauranga and Tuapiro, it must not be thought that the Department would accept any tender that might bo submitted. It would have to ba reasonable. The principle of work at any cost must cease. The Government must be perfectly satisfied that it was going to get good value for the money it- was spending. Many times lately it had been suggested that certain tfork should be done irrespective of cost, but he felt that no one present would subscribe to that. He was pleased to say that there would be competition for the construction work, for which tenders were now being invited, and firms who had been enquiring were agreeably surprised as to the extent of the work. The Minister said that the carrying cut of the work by contract would be n test as to whether the methods of the Public Works Department were up to date and economical. There was no harm, at any rate, in giving the contract system a trial. The tenders would close in June next, and it would then take a short time 'to complete preliminaries, and get the contract signed. /The work was to be completed within three years of the signing of the contract, so that it was expected to haive the work completed and Tauranga connected with the main railway system of the North Island by the end of 1928.