CHANNEL TUNNEL

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 January 1929, Page 5

CHANNEL TUNNEL

FRENCH MINISTERS’ SUPPORT.

(Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.— Copyright.)

PARIS, January 23

M. Painleve (War Minister) has issued a statement that, personally, he regards the Channel Tunnel as a great and entirely feasible work, and in nowise detrimental to France’s national defence. n M. Fergeot (Minister of Public Works) says he sees no reason why the undertaking should not be carried out as soon as arrangements can be made with the French Submarine Railway Company. This is a subsidiary company of the Northern Railways, and it still holds a charter for the construction of a Channel Tunnel, all the earlier provisions and subsidies for the work having expired.

ESTIMATED REVENUE.

LONDON, January 24.

The French Ambassador, M. De Fleurian, speaking at Sir W. Bull’s Channel Tunnel Dinner at the House of Commons, said: “I am authorised to say that the French Government is ready when the British Government is ready, to take up the Tunnel and make the necessary arrangements. W e can not at present do more.” Baron D’Erlanger, Chairman of the Tunnel Company, estimated that the passengers wiihin ten years would reach four million yearly. A fare of sixteen shillings would yield a gross income of £3,400,000. The merchandise would probably bring in another £BOO,OOO. The working expenses would be about £1,000,000.

BRITISH LABOUR’S ATTITUDE

LONDON. January 24.

The Parliamentary Labour Party has adopted a. resolution favouring a Channel inquiry, and expressing the opinion that the military aspect should not be allowed to exclude the economic considerations, nor the effects of the Kellogg Pact. CONSTRUCTION PLANS. PARTS, January 24. AL Le Troequer. Alinistev of Public Works, presiding at a meeting of the French Tunnel Committee, said that no technical difficulty in construction existed. The French Association favoured a tunnel thirty-three miles long, with adouble gallery, permitting of better ventilation than a double-line single gallery. The estimated expenditure was twenty-four milions sterling. The time of construction would be six years, and the return journey from London to Paris would be accomplished in a day. The law of 1875, granting the concession to the French Association, still existed, and it only remained for the British Government authorities to authorise a company for exploiting the tunnel, to which the British, seemed decidedly favourable.