SOUTHERN MAIN TRUNK

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 22, 28 January 1929, Page 8

SOUTHERN MAIN TRUNK

MINISTER INSPECTS ROUTES

A CAUTIOUS'STATEMENT

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post")

CHEISTCHITECH, This Day.

The inland and coastal routes for the closing of the gap in the South Island main trunk railway between Parnassus and Ward were inspected by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. B. A. Kansorn, during the week-end.

In an interview, the Minister said he was somewhat disappointed with the inland routo from the point of view of the possibilities of closer settlement. The country traversed did not, however, seem to be carrying as much stock as it could. The coastal route, which runs along the beach, showed little land that could be developed, continued Mr. Eansom. It was an excellent tourist route, and it seemed that it would be a pity to put a railway line through it and spoil the verdure. Unless the cost of the coastal route was considerably less than that of the inland route, it seemed to him that it would not be advisable to put a railway along the coast. The Minister made it clear that he was not committing himself to any routo yet, as the important' question of cost had still to be gone into.