EAST COAST RAILWAY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12750, 4 January 1936, Page 5

EAST COAST RAILWAY

EARLIEST POSSrULE START MINISTER’S ASSURANCE BETWEEN 1000 AND 1200 TO i'SE ENGAGED ESTIMATES TO BE PREPARED ’ IMMEDIATELY fPress Association-) ■' AUCKLAND, .inn. 3 “We nro going to wear out on the job,'not rust out”, said the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple. ! in discussing- his department's programme to-day. There was much work left in the departmental pigeon-hole. The - Gisborne-Napier railway was -one 1 ' of the “pigeon's”, and he added jocularly: “There are not many feathers in its tail either.” Mr Semple said that lie proposed to call a- conference oP engineering chiefs in Wellington in the near future for the purpose of discussing every aspect of public works and engineering problems. They would then draft a. national scheme of public works.

Referring to tlio line, Mr Semple said lie lirid instructed the engineers to prepare immediately an estimate of the cost oG putting the line back into repair with the intention of starting work as soon as possible. Ho would not be a bit surprised if it cost the Government anything from £50,000 to £IOO.OOO. The capital expended on the work already was somewhere near £3.500/100. The Minister added that he hoped to place between 1000 and 1200 men on the line when it started.

Mr Semple is going to the South Island immediately after the holidays to investigate problems associated with a big proposed gold dredging scheme near Hokitika. A company is prepared to spend £1.500,000 in development work, and proposes to build two of the largest dredges in the world-

“The problem”, said Mr Semple, is the supply of-power.” With Mr C. ,T. McKenzie, the Public Works Department, engineer, and Mr P. T. M. Kissel, the electrical engineer, he will visit three proposed sites fior a power scheme. Later Mr Semple will inspect the Son.th Island Main Trunk railway Construction' works.