TUNNEL ROAD SCHEME.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20333, 4 September 1931, Page 16

TUNNEL ROAD SCHEME.

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED ■ MEN. DISCUSSION BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Receiving the report of its Eco- ( jsomirs Committee, -which opposed the utilisation of the unemployed on a ( Tuunel Road scheme as uneconomic and , Mil mitred that the only sound method , of dealing with unemployment was to - make business profitable, the Council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, after some discussion at its meeting last night, decided to ask that committee to continue its investigations on the subject and to suggest, if possible, gome constructive schemes for the absorption of the unemployed. Tho report .-was presented to the last meeting of the Council and printed in The I'rf.ss in full on August /th. Discussion was theu postponed until last night's meeting, when it was enlivened by Mr F. W. Freeman's> and Mr H. M. Chrystall's championing of the Tunnel Road. Relief Expenditure. Mr • Freeman obsorved tllat unemployment was a cancer which could jaot be glossed over. He asked whether the Chamber had properly grappled with tho problem beyond the theory of its bulletins. In the last six months a. sum of £IOO,OOO had been spent on relief work in and about Christchurch. The annual share of the Christchurch population towards the unemployment funds was estimated at £300,000. It behoved the Chamber to consider all avenues of .relief -work. Mr Freeman pointed out the difficulty of concentrating a large number of men on any one work. He suggested the planting of trees on the Port Hills to provide wind-breaks, new drainage schemes, or a general improvement of tho City's environs. He then traversed tho arguments in favour of a ««commercial broad way" through the hills to Lyttelton which, he declared, was a sure remedy for Canterbury's ills. President Intervenes. <»I should like to review briefly the events in this province since the pioneers," continued Mr Freeman. The president (Mr H. 'S. E. Turner) here intervened, asking the speaker not to proceed on the lines ho had indicated in hia last sentence. "I am forced to believe that this Chamber does not want to discuss the question at all," replied Mr Freeman. Mr Turner reminded him of the subject of the Teport. "I know, very well what is in the-re-port, * retorted Mr Freeman'. At a later stage of the address, Mr W. H. Nicholson rose to a point' or! order, pointing out that Mr Freeman was no tonger discussing thp before . them—the report ,'of.- the 1 Economies Committee. Mr Freeman replied sharply, and Mr Turner had again to emphasise the limits of the subject under discussion. Mr Freeman appealed to the Chanlber to strike a blow for liberty and not to ba deterred by carping criticism. "A Pew Comic Phrases." Mr Chrystall ~ attached the Chamber, declaring. that it had never tackled the question of unemployment in a practical if ay. It was a farce for the Economics Committee to dismiss the question in a few, comic phrases. Many of its bulletins were right- enough, but it was not the body ,to consider a subject suck as unemployment. Mr Chrystall outlined the advantages of road transport to Lyttelton. Transport costs weroto-day one tho biggest items in business. v .\' The whole of the second, page of the Bulletin on Unemployment' was nothing f but' platitude after platitude, he continued. He hoped that there Would bo a full and free discussion and that its outcome wquld be valuable, practicable suggestions. Constructive Ideas Wanted. Mr Y. E. Hamilton regretted that the committee had made no recommendation for the wise spending of the money. They were sU agreed that the moneywas being wasted at present. He did not think that the Chamber's support of the resolution would have commit- ' ted it to support the Tunnel Road. Although the Chamber disapproved .of ■pending money on the tunnel,\ ?urely it 1 emtio not object .if a Tunnel Eoad conld be obtained without any special charges on the province. He asked for constructive criticism by the Economics Committee. V Mr C. P. Agar said that the Tunnel Soad would not increase the wealth of the community, but would? simply improve the amenities and lead to competition with the railways, which", he would remind them, Would be supported out of the Consolidated Fund. While he believed that there would be a surplus of exports of £8,000,000 for 1931, they must realise,,, that the only real road to recovery was through a reduction of internal costs. The country 's great difficulty was not whether to chip roads or to build tunnel roads, but to find men with the; vision arid courage* to face the unpleasant task of cutting costs. Mr W. E. Carey stressed the rise of motor transport and its increasing value, . ... Mr Agar: Put your against your horses. That's yovr -comparison. Mr W. H. Nicholson: The horse wins every time. Mr Carey continued that they must seek somo means of* getting their money's worth from unemployment relief. / Mr W. H. Nicholson said that roads and wharves could be built but that unless the primary producer was first enabled to use them they would lie idle. Heed for Material. Mr A. E. Krncaid said that while the , public was being heavily taxed to relieve unemployment he, had never seen any suggestion that the -"Unemployed should be. given material to do useful work. Surely some of the money should be'med to provide this material. Thpy . were spending millions of money without getting any useful return; surely to prosecute the Tunnel road scheme would be better than that. Mr A. O. Wilkinson moved that the report should be adopted but. that the Economics. Committee should be asked to explore further means of usefully spending the money. ' k -Mir. A. C., Brother ton said he thought it a great pity that the authorities did not realise, how iinwbrthy was the work now given the unemployed. He supported the adoption of the report. A Hon Economic Scheme. Mr A. F. Wright said that if the expenditure round Christchurch quoted by Mr IVaeman .irere cor£sct J .poul<J not the Chamb«r,whlle re-aifthningiLta' attitude.

that the Tunnel road is not at present a n economic proposition, state its belief that the Tunnel road was very mucli a more economic work than that which was at present undertaken* He did not see how the road would provide work-* for 6000 men. . , Mr P. H. Harris moved as an- amendment that the report should be received and that the' committee be asked to continue its investigations. The amendment 'was carried. unani- ; mousfy : '/j /