STRONG CASE FOR COMPLETED RAIL LINK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22318, 1 May 1947, Page 4

STRONG CASE FOR COMPLETED RAIL LINK

(CONVINCING facts pointing to the benefits to be gained from completion of the northern rail link between Matawai and Tancatua have been placed before the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Cullen. The Minister carries a portfolio which gives him a stronginterest in the development of farm production, and his own personal knowledge of the industry must have reinforced his impression that the area yet to be tapped north of Gisborne should make the project well worth while. It will be realised here that the last word will not lie with Mr. Cullen, but there is some satisfaction in knowing that both he and Mr. Coleman, Undersecretary for Works, have the welfare of any part of the East Coast at heart and will be able to put a telling case for the bridging of the gap before the Minister of Works, Mr. Semple. In many ways the meeting with Mr. Cullen has been ope of the most satisfactory in the series of approaches for rail development. In this district there has always been unity on the issue, but it was particularly pleasing to note that the country, with its delegates from Federated Farmers, and the town, represented by the Gisborne Trades Council, formed an ideal alliance in submissions aimed at service for the whole community. Naturally the Trades Council included the development of secondary industries among the points raised, but its spokesmen also presented material which gave ample support to the primary producers and to the needs of workers generally. Last night’s report of the proceedings covered the subject so fully that detailed comment is unnecessary; the facts speak for themselves. It is evident that all engineering difficulties can be overcome, and it will be a matter for wide satisfaction if it is eventually decided that the line should pass through Opotiki, Gisborne’s fairly near neighbour across the ranges. Taking into consideration the advantages of completing this link, a final thought must be that no new railway project throughout the Dominion is more worthy of priority attention.