NO MORE SMOKE

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18634, 8 March 1926, Page 8

NO MORE SMOKE

lyttelton tunnel. TO BE ELECTRIFIED. duplication premature. The experts who were commissioned to report on the alternative proposals for the improvement of the railway service between Lyttelton and Christchurch, having decided that duplicaton of the Lyttelton tunnel was unnecessary, and a great deal more costly than electrification, which in their opinion would meet all the requirements of traffic for the next quarter of a century, the Government has decided in-favour of a scheme for operating by electricity, the traffic between Middleton and Lyttelton —the Christchurch zone—the cost of installing the necessary plant to be £-190,000. The Prime Minister met local members of Parliament, the representatives of Canterbury organisations, and departmental officers, in a round table conference on Saturday morning, and outlined the Government's proposals. He also indicated that it was proposed to put them into effect almost immediately. The local body representatives were satisfied that on the information in the hands of the Government, it was justified in arriving at its conclusions. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Mr Prank D. Thomson, G.M.G. (secretary of the Prime Minister's Department). Those present included the Hons. E. Moore, G. Witty, and G. J. Smith M.L.C. 's Hon. D. Buddo, Messrs M. E. Lyons, H. S. S. Kyle, H. Holland, D. Jones, E. J. Howard, H. T. Armstrong, D. G. Sullivan, M.P.'s, Messrs R. S. Kent (South Island Divisional Superintendent, New Zealand Eailways), H. Chapman (District Traffic Manager), E. P. Sims (Assistant Chief Mechanical Engineer), G. Drummond (Good.j Agent, Christchurch), E. Clarke (stationmaster, Lyttelton), F. T. M. Kissel (Chief Electrical 'Engineer, Public Works Department), P. Langbein (Engineer-in-Chavge,. Christchurch), E. G. McGibbon (Chief Electrical Engineer), H. D. Acland, W. H. Nicholson (Sheepowners' Union), H. J. Marriner, J. G. Herdman, C. H. Hewlett, F. M. Warren (Chamber of Commerce), A. F. Wright, W. Goss, C. J. E. Williams (Progress League), C. M. Ollivier (Employers' Association), and E. R. Guinness. "Incontrovertible Tacts." ' Mr Coates said it was quite impossible to go fully into details of the particulars in his possession, but figures were available, which would be quite sufficient to enable them to form an opinion. They would be aslced to form their own judgment, in view of quite incontrovertible facts. There would bo argument, but it would be quite unnecessary, and he doubted whether the' Press could follow a round table discussion. Any condensation of the reports would not be fair to those who had prepared them. The question before them was whether the Press should attend and report the discussion, which could lead to no good, as far as the public was concerned, and might be positively misleading. If they issued a well thought out report of the conference, it- would be better than the report •of a scrappy nature, with the interjections, which would be obtained by the reporters remaining. Mr Hewlett agreed with the Prime Minister's remarks. Mr Coates said the reports ordinarily would be in the Railway Statement. He was unable to issue the whole of the reports because he did not have them, but in his opinion it was unnecessary to wait for the Statement, Tinless they decided at the conference that it was advisable to do so.

Great Public Interest. Mr Smith said that in view of the interest taken in the matter in Canterbury, it would not do to wait for the Statement, Mr H. J. Marriner: Will the proceedings be regarded as private until you issue a statement? "Yes," replied Mr Coates. A verbatim report of the discussion, he added, would not be read very intelligibly by the public, but the reports of the Kailway Board, Mr Kissel and Mr Sim, and the Minister's opinions could be published. The report of the electrical branch had been investigated by the Government. They could not go into the whole quostion of electrification for New Zealand, because they did not have the basis of computation, i "Will a report be issued in the same manner as the Christchurch City Council did with the Qtarama scheme?" asked Mr Howard. "This" can be done," replied Mr Coates. The reporters then withdrew, and those present proceeded to discuss the question. Prime Minister's Statement. The conference lasted over an hour, after which the Prime Minister issued an important statement. He said that the electrification of the Christchurch railway zone was the lecommendation of Messrs Merz and McLellan, and their report had been discussed by the meeting. The Government had been faced with the difficulty of arriving at its conclusion without the basis of their reasoning, so this was cabled for, and in addition Mr Kissel and Mr Sim had | been asked to report to the Government I their views of the conclusions arrived at by Messrs Merz and McLellan. This had been done, and in addition the Rail- ' way Board and the Superintendent for the South Island had considered it. - Traffic Decreasing. A graph which showed the goods traffic between Lyttelton and Christchurch over a number of years had been submitted, and this showed that the -traffic had decreased from about 723,000 tons in 1913 to 670,000 in 1925, The estimated capacity of the present line, whether for goods or passengers, could be expanded by 200 per cent, with the present facilities. The outstanding feature of the reports from the commercial point of view, was that electrification would result in a 2.2 per cent, return per annum on the capital invested, and this figure was confirmed, by the Departmental officers. With reference to the proposal favoured last year to duplicate the tunnel at a cost of £265,000, the investigations proved that it was unnecessary to spend more than £190,000 for electrification, thus effecting a saving of approximately £74,000. This should meet all the line's requirements for 25 years- Electrification would result in a reduction of operating costs by £3OOO per annum, exclusive of capital charges. No Duplication. Mr Coates said it had been his own j view, also, that not , duplication but electrification should be adopted. This I would result in an increased railway j liability for the South Island of £II,OOO per annum in interest charges and sinking fuadj lots the saving effected in

operating costs. When he returned to Wellington the reports would be submitted to interested parties and mado « ,^ c >ress for publication, • , i® ellu g w as against the spending of £265,000, when such an outlay was not justified," 6a id Mr' Coates, H ? atter had b e decided flt e, as delays would hold up tho work ton. 5 ' yards at MiddleMiddletoo to Lyttelton. trifi!?V Chei ? e w -? uld involve the elecl|£. ° f tbeline fro « MiddJeton to tho !!!• < : ol,fere n ( 'e took the view thtt able » c? n ° n i 8 / r , rived at were reason * wanted T, ed Mr Coates, "and tliey 13J* ?, Übm i t a "solution, but I GovernMfiTif contei iding that the Wou ld take full rasponwori^Ta^ k* er » Coates said that