OTIRA TUNNEL

Grey River Argus, 21 July 1923, Page 5

OTIRA TUNNEL

Legislators Back Out SUMMER CELEBRATION SUGGESTED. WELLINGTON, .Inly 15. Some difficulty will arise over seeur ing a representative attendance of Parliamentarians at the opening of the Otira Tunnel. When the proposal first w: s made that Parliament should , adjourn to enable members io attend the opening ceremony a canvass of legislators showed that over 80, including a number of Legislative Councillors, would make the week-end trip. Since then it has been announced that the House will adjourn on Friday afternoon preceding the tunnel function, that members will travel by that night's ste- mer to Lyttelton, and that a special train will land them at Bcaley at 2 p.m. The return train is timed to start two hours later, so that Saturday night’s ferry can be caught and Wellington readied on Sunday morning. Members now realise th: t there will be an enormous amount of travelling for a brief visit to the tunnel, and they are showing general signs of dissatisfaction, especially as they have recently been reminded that the wcath ?r in the vicinity of the Otira Tunnel at this time of the year can be extremely The Prime Minister will r-tfond the function if it is held on August 4, but a suggestion is being made by mo a bers that traffic should bo started in the tunnel immediately it can be handled and that the opening cdelnation should be held when the woatUr is more equable and there is time to inspect this great nation::! work as well as visit the West Co: st. COAL FREIGHTS. CHRISTCHURCH, July 17. The first consignment of coal to conn through the Otira Tunnel was delivered to merchants in ChrLtehurch yesterday morning. Thirteen trucks of Reelton and State coal were comprised in the consignment. “It makes it terribly dear,” said a merchant, speaking of the three rate charge imposed on freight' using the tunnel. If it wore not for the fact that the yards in the city were depleted of stocks, lie added, merchants would not dream of making- use of the tunnel for coal. The only way in which the public could got relief by using iht tunnel was by paying from 10/- to 15/a ton extra for it, and the merchant, even then, would get nothing on the higher figure. “I cannot see.’’ said the mer/hanl “why the Railway Department cannot make a through rate at. a Jightlj. higher charge in order to allow some thing for the Public Works Department.” The vendors on the Coast, he said, were not philanthropists, and were making hay while the sun shorn?. On top of that the excessively high railage charge made the coal altogether too dear. The cost of transporting coal from the West Coast by rail was discussed at a meeting of the Canterbury District Railway Committee yesterday. “Is there anything definite about taking over the tunnel so that wo can get a through freight rate on coal?” asked Mr AV. 11. Nicholson. He said charges on the long-distance rate would moan a big gain. Mr Mitchell (Traffic Manager) said August 4 was the earliest d c te to expect Hie Railway Department to do anything. Mr Mitchell stated that it was only as a special concession that any coal had been brought through, because the transport stopped all work on th? tunnel section. He was not sure whether any more coal would !?•> brought through for the present. The date of the opening of the tunnel was not far off and the department did rot want to do anything that would retard it. In answer to questions, Mr Mitchell said the freight on coal on the through rate (when the tunnel was opened) would bo about half the present ••harges (computed on sectional b sis). Hew Trucks Arrive. MORE WILL COME. A number of trucks, to be used in sending coal to Canterbury, arrived in Greymouth on Thursday afternoon. When talking to Mr J. L. Morgan (District Traffic Manager) yesterday, an ' “Argus” reporter was told that four U.B. timber waggons would be the maximum load which could be hauled through the tunnel by an electric locomotive. When asked wlr t weight a locomotive could haul up the steep grade on the Otira line, Mr Morgan replied that an engine could haul 200 tons from Jackson’s onwards. AVhen the tunnel opened, the railway would send through what trucks would bo required. COAL TRANSPORT. NEEDS OF CHRISTCHURCH. (Special to “Argus.”) WELLINGTON, July 20. In the House to-day, Mr D. Sullivan asked the Minister of Railways if he would make arrangements to run coal through the Otira Tunnel sufficient io relieve the present shortage in Christchurch. Mr Sullivan said that the shortage of coal had accentuated the sitkness and influenza, which were brought on by the damp, cold weather. A few train-loads of coal would relieve the situation. The Minister stated the Department

was doing all it could. The tunnel was under the dual control of the PublicAVorbs and Railway Departments, they wanted to get rid of the Public AA orks Department and hand the tunnel over to the Railway Department. If he considered these requests, the engineers would not allow goods to b? cleared threngh the tunnelaiow. The goods interfered with the tests that were being carried out. Tic objected to Mr Sullivan’s statement that the shortage of coal had caused the influenza in Chri-t--church. Mr Sullivan denied that he had said the shortage of coal had caused the influenga.. He had .‘■aid that it accentuated ’Hie influenza. PAY AND HOLIDAYS FOR WORKERS. (Special to “Argus.”) WELLINGTON, July 20. At question time in the House today, the Member for Westland (Mr O’Brien) asked the Minister of Public Works, without notice, if he would make arrangements to pay the Otira workmen on August 3rd, instead of on August 4th., the usual pay day, so as to give them a chance for a full day off for the celebrations, and to give the workmen an opportunity of being present at the opening function. He also asked if the Minister would give the workers a fully-paid holiday on the opening day. The Minister answered in the affirmative for all three questions. It is understood that three affirmative answers to three questions is a record.