EAST COAST

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 September 1924, Page 9

EAST COAST

RAILWAY TO GISBORNE

CONSTRUCTION TOO SLOW.**

(Ay telegraph—pp.ess association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. A large deputation representing commercial and local interests in Wairoi, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay districts, waited on the Prime Minister and Minister for Public Works to-day with an appeal that the Government shoiihl speed up the construction of the Wairoa-Gisborne-Napier railway in accordance with the promises said to haye been previously' made. Mr. W. D. Lysnar said it was definitely promised that after the tunnel for the North of Auckland railway and another North Island construction n’ork were attended to •the Napier-■Gisborne-Wairoa railway would be considered the most important work. That was said prior to the last election, and had been repeated since in the railways statement. The deputation did not wish to discuss the route, hut only the principle of the work beiu<* coijiinenced. ”

Ihe Hon. J. (J. Coates said the request was quite a reasonable one hut it Was a question of finance. He was plcjasod * that ihe route question had been submerged. To finish the line to AVatroa. would take six years and would cost- £250,000 a year. The department was anxious to draw up a for railway development, and lie hoped to present that in his staiiement, this session. He would say that- other, works should take precedence, hut lie believed that in the interests of Urn Dominion other ,unfirS P ir U sh ° uld bo finished hist. \Vork from the Napier end had been speeded up, and he hoped to again allocate increased expenditure upon that work this year. The time would come when they woqld be able to make better progress. Difficult bein S worked just now. , d • Massey said he recognised the importance of the district from a produel up; p„,„t of vie , v . lower £ ous lines would be completed in the Sy'Lt thl: mp ' >rta " c<> ‘° the