MIDLAND LINE BLOCKAGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 January 1944, Page 4

MIDLAND LINE BLOCKAGE

WORK MAKES GOOD PROGRESS

Confronted with what is stated by experienced men to be the biggest job of the kind yet experienced, on the Midland line, the gangs tackling the clearance of the six miles of slips in the vicinity of Aickens . are making good progress in spite of breakdowns among, the bulldozers. The railway authorities to-day could give no definite information about the prospects of resuming traffic except that the line will certainly not be open before Saturday, but the present degree of progress will be dependent upon the weather holding. Huge logs are presenting difficulties to the plant employed: Advice received by the railways authorities this afternoon from the engineers at; the slip indicated that, provided no setbacks are encountered and the weather continues favourable, a clearance may reasonably be expected by midday on Saturday. Train arrangements for that day, hotvever, cannot yet be determined but it is expected that to-morrow some definite announcement will be possible. This morning two buses from Reefton conveyed 45 West Coast passengers to Christchurch, and three other vehicles travelled to the Coast with 88 passengers. These will return to Christchurch to-morrow mornipg, from Reefton. The Greymouth taxi operators who yesterday and on Tuesday made special trips to Christchurch with people

anxious to return home are to be granted extra petrol to recompense them for the quantity used. Mr. W. Kennedy, Chairman of the Greymouth Taxicab Control Committee, has received advice to this effect from the Oil Fuel Controller, Wellington. All mail deliveries both to and from Greymouth and Christchurch were up-to-date to-day, including both first and second-class matter. Sixty-two bags of mail ’ arrived in Greymouth last evening, and all was delivered to-day. It is being conveyed by the Railways Road Services from Christchurch to Reefton, . and from there to Greymouth by rail, and similar transport is accorded mails for Canterbury. Approximate closing times for East Coast mails at Greymouth are 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.

OTAGO RESOLUTIONS

DUNEDIN, January 19. Regret at the necessity for restricted rail facilities as the result of coal shortages was expressed by delegates from various parts of Otaeo who have attended a conference in Dunedin to discuss proposals for celebrating the centenary of Otago. At the conclusion of formal business of the conference, the following ’ resolution was adopted: “That this fully representative conference of delegates from counties and boroughs of Otago is, on behalf of the rural community, greatly concerned, if not alarmed, that it has become necessary to restrict rail passage and goods traffic as a result of a temporary shortage of coal in a country where this commodity is plentiful, and urges that immediate and definite steps be- taken by the Government to prevent at the source of the shortage a recurrence of a disgraceful state of affairs, particularly at such a critical time.”

The Executive of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, at a meeting, decided to send a telegram to the Minister of Railways, asking why stocks of coal had been allowed to become so depleted as to require rail restrictions, and also to ask if coal is still being transported from the South Island to the North Island.