SPRED-UP WANTED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22514, 18 December 1947, Page 6

SPRED-UP WANTED

RAILWAY NORTH ROUTE INVESTIGATION

CHAMBER INSISTENCE Further representations, urging the Minister of Works, Mr. R. Semple, to speed up the investigations on the northern railway route from Taneatua to Gisborne, are to be made- by the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce. The chamber also will ask the Minister to arrange a round-table conference to discuss increased public works in the Gisborne district.. At last night’s meeting of the chamber a letter was received from the Minister stating that investigations regarding the railway were still being carried out and the chamber could best help by collecting any relevant data in the district and forwarding it to him. Members considered that the construction of the northern railway was a matter which should be expedited and a committee, comprising the president, Mr. T. A. N. Corson, the secretary, Mr. M. J. White .and Messrs. L. W Burnard and H. H. Barker, was appointed to draft a reply to Mr. Semple. The reply will point out that it appears that the Gisborne railway is being relegated to a third or fourth position whereas it is an extremely urgent one. “Work Being Fooled About” Mr. Corson said he thought the Minister was sincere when he had said that he wished all of the present grants spent on public works in the district, but it appeared that the work was being “fooled about” by some people in the Works Department. He moved that Mr. Semple be asked to arrange as soon as possible a roundtable conference of the Minister, the engineer-in-chief of the department and the enginesrs from Napier, Hamilton and Tauranga, and the executive of the chamber to discuss public works in the Gisborne district. It appeared, he said, that when Gisborne became a public works sub-office under Napier it. had lost a lot. of its claim for work, as tar sealing of roads in particular seemed to be fanning out from the head offices, and Gisborne was not receiving its share. Mr. C. H. Cooper said that he had recently spoken to the engineer at Napier and had been assured that the low-level bridge at Muriwai would be replaced by June of next year and the bridge a short distance beyond that would theh be replaced. It was also hoped that in the next two summers the road, between Wairoa and Napier would be completely tar sealed and also a gd£d deal of the road between Gisborne and Wairoa. .