TUNNEL ROAD

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22431, 18 June 1938, Page 14

TUNNEL ROAD

Date Fixed For Conference DISCUSSION WITH MR SEMPLE June 27 has been fixed by the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) as the day for hearing the representations of local bodies in and near Christchurch about the tunnel road. The conference, which will begin at 11 a.m., has been arranged at the request of the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane). It will be the second big conference with the Government on this subject.

It was hoped that the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) would be able to attend the conference, but because of .other engagements Mr Savage suggested to the Mayor that the proposal bfe discussed with Mr Semple, who would convey to him the results of the conference. Twenty-eight local bodies and organisations have been invited to meet Mr Semple. These bodies are the same as those that attended the first conference in April of last year. On that occasion 23 of the bodies represented supported the proposal to construct a tunnel road from Christchurch to Lyttelton, the dissentient voters being the Lyttelton Harbour Board, the Waimairi County Council, the New Brighton Borough Council, the Canterbury District Council of the Alliance of Labour, and the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council. After that Mr Savage stated that the work could not be undertaken unless the Harbour Board was prepared to carry out whatever transformation became necessary at the port; and three months later the Harbour Board decided that it would not oppose the project if it did not interfere with the working of the port.