THE SPEECHES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 31, 6 August 1923, Page 3

THE SPEECHES

MR. COATES ON COST.

(BI TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

CHRISTCHURCH, ,4th August. It was a very full train that steamed out of Christchurch station this morning for Otira for the official opening of the tunnel. Cabinet was represented by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Works and Railways. The Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Public Works, acted as a host for the Government. Among those present were Sir Joseph Ward and the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Wilford.

With surprising suddenness the long spell of dry weather at Otira broke early this morning, and the ceremony was just a day too late to be held under absolutely perfect weather conditions, thougli it cleared off in the afternoon.

The West Coast train was held up on the up-grade in the tunnel for Zi minutes on account of a minor fault in the overhead wires. The Christchurch train afterwards went through the tunnel (down-grade) in fifteen minutes. There was a fair amount of noise, and it appeared as if light rain were falling in the tunnel, because of water falling from the roof. The tunnel was not lighted, but the headlight of the locomotive ahead makes it appear as if the train were all the time running out into daylight.

At Otira the rain had ceased, and aiarge crowd cheered as the train drew in, 'mid cries of "Good old Bill." The speeches were made in the power-house. In congratulating Canterbury and Westland on the linking of East and °\Vest, Mr. Massey paid a tribute to Mr. Seddon's attention to West Coast affairs, also to Sir Joseph Ward and Sir William Fraser in their connection with the tunnel, the longest in the British Empire. As to the return from the railway, he expected a decent percent-

age. On the West Coast were great coal resources, the greatest in New Zealand. Its timber resources were also the greatest in New Zealand. ■ That would provide a great freight traffic. jTm going to say," added Mr. Massey, "that thero will be tremendous timber and coal supplies through the tunnel and tremendous passenger traffic. What more do you want? With freight and passenger traffic of the magnitude expected, a good percentage will be returned." EXPENDITURE BIGHT THROUGH.

Mr. Co.ites said it was worthy of note I that while the estimated cost of construction between Springfield and Stili- ' water was set, in terms of tho Midland j Kailway Company's contract, at.£2,500,- | 000 at a time when the cost of labour and material was very considerably lower than it had been during recent years, the total cost of construction between Greymouth and Christchurch had amounted to only £3,328,180. This latter cost also provided for the crossing of the Southern Alps at a much lower altitude, and consequently needed a longer tunnel, and included electric traction through the tunnel at a cost of £313,000 (as against the original idea of traction by the Fell system). In the celebrations they should remember Uie efforts and devotion-of all the men who had carried through this great work to its conclusion, from the humblest worker to tho skilled engineer. Sir Joseph Ward said tha community to-day had a lot to thank the pioneers for, particularly Mr. Seddon. He was sure that in five or ten years the results would astonish them all. Mr. Roderick M'Kenzie, formerly Minister of Public Works, said that the Government should now finish the Inangahua to Murchison line, which was necessary for the development of -the country. iv-Tf he ,Leac! e, r of the Opposition, Mr. Wilford, said that the railways of the Dominion must be electrified, particularly the suburban areas, to relieve the congestion of the big cities. He apologised for the absence of Mrs. E J Seddon. ' J!l\ f H" E" ,Hol'a"a, M.P., said he would favour the erection of tablets contaming the names of men who worked on the tunnel and the names of workers and women who lived in isolation at Arthur s Pass. nm r -' G\,^- Forbes, M.P., Mr. J. OBnen, M.P., and Mr. T. E Y. Seddon also spoke. At 3.40 people boarded the Christchurch train, which tho Hon. J. G Coaues drove through the ribbon held oy tunnel workers. THE BANQUET. a °?- *»? .return to Christchurch, Mr fi ** A1 Plne> President of the Canban "vet gr6Ss Lea Sue> presided at a Air. Massey proposed the toast of United Canterbury and Westland." tie paid a tribute to the skilled men who drove coaches from one side of the island to the other for many years, prac- , tically without accident. He' welieved ; they had not seen the last of the gold of tho West Coast. Westland had a great agricultural future before it. The bush country of Westlaud would be difficult to bring into cultivation, but it would be worth doing. The men who went to the West Coast in the early days were some of the best and most enterprising men in the British Empire. He had been delighted to notice that the whole of the machinery connected with the electrical'working of the tunnel was British-made. It was thoroughly up to date, .and he believed it would compare favourably with any mgcjlinery made for the purpose in any other part of the world. New Zealand was asking for development, and must get it. Arthur's Pass section of the east and west coast railway was not the only railway that required to be constructed. There were railways in the North and South Islands that had been commenced and should be completed, there were roads waiting to be made for motor traffic, and sources of hydro-electricity to be developed.' After referring to the high standing of tho New Zealand railways in the financial centre of the world, Mr. Massey said that if we cannot manufacture certain articles and commodities in our own country, then our duty in the circumstances is to go to our fellow citizens in Britain for them.

Sir R. Heatou Rhodes, the Hon. J. GTimmorid, and Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P., also spoke . The Hon. J. Ban- proposed the toast of Public Works and Railways. Mr. Coates, in responding, said ho had been told that day that they should have huns off for another six months, and had tho tunnel opened then. But their objective was to place the line at the service of the public at as early, a date as possible. There was too much money involved to allow the line to be idle for any period longer than was actually necessary. He paid a tribute to Mr. Evan Parry, who was responsible for the electrical work of the tunnel. The. delay in the tunnel that day was due only to bad luck, and he was confident that when the real business of the line was commenced there would be no similar breaks.

Mr. Wilford urged the completing of the link between Glenhope and Inangahua.

Other speakers were Mr. J. A. Flesher, Mayor of Christchurch, Mr. H. Atmore, M.P., Mr. F. W. Furkert, Chief Engineer of Publio Works, and Mr. Evan Parry, who said he hoped he would be spared to see the electrification of the Lyttelton tunnel and the opening of the Waimaka-Tiri electrical scheme.

The banquet concluded at midnight, and the special train with the North Island visitors, left for Lyttelton shortly afterwards.