NELSON WEST COAST RAIL GAP

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25161, 17 April 1947, Page 8

NELSON WEST COAST RAIL GAP

ATTITUDE OF CANTERBURY MANUFACTURERS

Opposition to the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association 'supporting the Nelson Progress League’s campaign for the completion of the closing of the gap in the Nelson-West Coast railway beween Glenh'ope and Inangahua was expressed by members of the council of the association last evening, when the president (Mr B. J. Masters) reported that he had attended a meeting called by the Canterbury Progress League to discuss the proposal. The council decided to delay support of the Nelson Progress League so that the attitude of other organisations in Canterbury could be obtained.

Mr C. S. Peate said that as a manufacturers’ organisation the association should not support the Nelson Progress League in any further action it might take. If the railway was completed it would mean that the West Coast would be in the same category as Nelson and Marlborough—provinces of the North Island. It was only going to add to the trend of depend'ence on Wellington. “It would be very much better m the interests of the South Island as a whole to be quiet on the matter and let nature take*its course,’’ added Mr Peate.

Mr H. C. Urlwin said that Christchurch factories did a large business with Westport and Greymouth, but Nelson obtained much of its supplies from Wellington. Completion of the railway would make it more convenient for Wellington manufacturers to get goods to the West Coast.