SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21747, 1 April 1936, Page 10

SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK

COMPLETION OF LINE

MR SAVAGE'S DEFINITE ASSURANCE

STATEMENT BY MEMBER FO R WAIRAU

LFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter..! ' WELLINGTON, March 31. The Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) has now given a definite assurance that the South Island main trunk line will be completed, according to Mr E. P. Meachen, Government member for Wairau. Mr Meachen said to-day that statements which had been made at a meeting of the Progress Leaguin Blenheim last Friday appeared to indicate that there was some doubt about the intention to complete the southern line. As a rer suit, he had gone to the Prime Minister, who had given him a definite assurance that the line would K»e t-one on with. Apparently the doubt indicated in the remarks made at Blenheim had been caused by the nore or less definite undertaking which was given by the Prime Minister about the Gisbornc line; but Mr Meachen said it had to be iemembered that the Gisborne line had been inspected first by the Minister for Public Works (the Hon K. Semrie) and that, because of tha M priority, his report on the line hadj already been dealt with. That was why a more or less definite staterent could be made on that line.