EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 76, 13 March 1913, Page 4

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

It will be rather interesting for some of those who have attempted to prove that Government has decided to abandon work on the East Coast railway, to read the statement which appeared in our columns yesterday from, the mouth of the Minister of Public Works. It must be a somewhat painful shock to the disgruntled “Liberals ’ who held (hat the line was 10 be put, metaphorically, into the waste paper basket because the M aid Government was turned out of office. It is rather interesting to quote the section from the Minister’s statement which deals with our line. It reads as follows :—“A section of the East Coast Trunk Railway from Gisborne toward Napier. This .is a i ( authorisation of the line, for the eonstuetion of winch power was obtained last year. After a little woik had been done t.lm cngimer, came to the conclusion that it would be wise r to start from another point further south at a place called Makaraka. Tlie length of the first section will be 26 miles. Considerable progress has already been made with the work of < oiirtriiction.” This explanation of the position shows plainly that Government has no intention to stop work on the line, but. it was something much in the nature of an "open secret" that the line had not been placed wisely nt tlie Gisborne end, and it was nor only an "'>pcn secret,” but an open flagrant scandal that the work at Napier was being carried our in a manner which left the new Minister of Public Works no option bur, to close down operations until they ■could be carried through on a proper reasonable basis. The Minister has slated definitely that work is to be recommenced at Gisborne end and we njai safely take it that there will be an active resumption at this end when the coterie of obstructionists in Napier cease to fight against the proposed harbour development. It is not in any way probable that this Government or any other Government would rote money for the construction of a line which a misguided section of tlie people are attempting to block. Lt is difficult to understand how people can be found who are willing and anxious to block the progress of tlie port and province simply through tlie motive of prejudice. Unfcrlunately it. is only too apparent and while Gisborne end of the line is being pushed ahead the Napier end is "hung up” because a useless coterie of obstructionists are intriguing to block harbour development. It is the most pitiable exhibition of petty factional strife that has ever checked the advancement of a communitv.